2000
#3,003
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,048
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.10
Uncommon Last name
Carman
An occupational surname referring to someone who drove or manufactured carts or wagons.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 11,791 Americans carry the last name Carman. That puts it at #3,399 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.44 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 29,069 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Carman surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Carman with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
12K
1 in 29,069
Census rank
#3,399
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
10K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 10,282 bearers of the surname Carman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.44 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3399th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Carman, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Hispanic (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Carman
The surname Carman is of English origin and can be traced back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "carr" and "mann," which together mean "man who dwells near the marsh or fen." This name was likely given to individuals who lived or worked near marshy areas or fens.
The earliest recorded instances of the Carman surname can be found in various historical documents from the 13th and 14th centuries. For instance, the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, dated 1273, mention a person named Robert Carman. Additionally, the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1327 list a certain William Careman.
Over time, the name evolved and took on different spellings, such as Careman, Careyman, and Cayreman, reflecting regional variations in pronunciation and record-keeping practices. Some of these variations can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from the 14th century, where individuals with names like John Cayreman and Robert Careman appear.
One of the earliest known bearers of the Carman surname was Sir William Carman, a prominent English landowner and knight who lived in the late 13th century. He is mentioned in the Calendars of Inquisitions Post Mortem from 1292, which recorded the transfer of his estates after his death.
Another notable figure was Robert Carman, a merchant and alderman in the city of London during the 15th century. He is recorded in the Husting Rolls of London in the year 1431, which documented legal proceedings and property transactions.
In the 16th century, a certain John Carman gained recognition as a skilled architect and master mason. He is credited with the construction of several churches and buildings in the counties of Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire, as mentioned in the architectural records of that time.
Moving forward to the 17th century, we find William Carman, a prominent Puritan minister and author who lived in Massachusetts Bay Colony. He is known for his influential sermons and writings on religious topics, some of which were published in the early years of the American colonies.
Fast-forwarding to the 19th century, we encounter George Carman, a renowned English botanist and horticulturist. He was born in 1819 and made significant contributions to the study and cultivation of various plant species, particularly those found in the British Isles.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals who bore the Carman surname throughout history, demonstrating its enduring presence across different regions and time periods.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Carman
Among Census respondents with the surname Carman, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Hispanic (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Carman bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Carman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.7% · 9,022
- Two or more races4.3% · 447
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 381
- Black or African American2.3% · 239
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 115
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 78
Timeline
Historical Census data for Carman
Carman appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#3,198
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,302
+254 bearers (+2.3%)
Per 100,000 3.83
Rank movement Down 195 places
2020
#3,399
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,282
-1,020 bearers (-9.0%)
Per 100,000 3.44
Rank movement Down 201 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,003 | 11,048 | 4.10 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,198 | 11,302 | 3.83 | +254 bearers (+2.3%) | Down 195 places |
| 2020 | #3,399 | 10,282 | 3.44 | -1,020 bearers (-9.0%) | Down 201 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Carman surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #3,198 | #3,399 | -6.3% |
| Count | 11,302 | 10,282 | -9.0% |
| Per 100K | 3.83 | 3.44 | -10.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Carman bearers went from 11,302 to 10,282 (-9.0% change). The surname moved down 201 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,198 to #3,399.
FAQ
Carman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Carman?
Name Census estimates that about 11,791 living Americans carry the surname Carman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 29,069 residents.
How common is Carman?
Carman ranks #3,399 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.44 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 10,282 people with the surname Carman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (11,791), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.44 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.44 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Carman.
Has Carman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Carman went from 11,302 recorded bearers to 10,282. That is a decrease of 1,020 (-9.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,198 to #3,399.
What does the Census say about the background of Carman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Carman, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Hispanic (3.7%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Carman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.7% (9,022 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Carman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.7%), Two or More Races (4.3%), Hispanic (3.7%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Carman (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Carman mean?
An occupational surname referring to someone who drove or manufactured carts or wagons. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Carman (3.44 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Carman?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.