2000
#9,973
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,985
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.11
Rare Last name
Carmen
A surname of Spanish origin referring to somebody from Carmel or Mount Carmel, or having an association with Carmelite monasticism.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,313 Americans carry the last name Carmen. That puts it at #10,586 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.97 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 103,457 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Carmen 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 Carmen with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.3K
1 in 103,457
Census rank
#10,586
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,889 bearers of the surname Carmen in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.97 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10586th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Carmen, the largest self-reported group is White at 57.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (27.8%) and Black (6.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Carmen
The surname Carmen originated in Spain and is derived from the Spanish word "carmen," which means "song" or "poem." The name's roots can be traced back to the Middle Ages, when it was commonly used as a nickname or a descriptive surname for individuals associated with music or poetry.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Carmen can be found in various historical documents from the 13th and 14th centuries in Spain. One notable example is the mention of a certain Juan Carmen in a legal document from the city of Seville, dated 1298. This individual's name likely referred to his occupation or talent as a poet or singer.
During the Renaissance period, the surname Carmen gained prominence in literary circles across Spain. One of the most renowned figures bearing this name was Pedro del Carmen, a celebrated poet and playwright from Seville, born in 1472 and died in 1538. His works, including the acclaimed play "La Celestina," have had a lasting impact on Spanish literature.
In the 16th century, the surname Carmen also appeared in records related to the Spanish colonization of the Americas. For instance, historical accounts mention a certain Francisco Carmen, a conquistador who accompanied Hernán Cortés in the conquest of Mexico in the 1520s. This suggests that individuals with the surname Carmen played a role in the exploration and settlement of the New World.
As the Spanish language and culture spread throughout the Americas, the surname Carmen took root in various regions, particularly in Mexico and Central America. One notable figure was Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz (1651-1695), a renowned Mexican nun, poet, and scholar who is considered one of the greatest writers of the Spanish Golden Age.
Another prominent individual with the surname Carmen was José María Carmen, a Venezuelan military leader and politician who played a crucial role in the country's struggle for independence from Spain in the early 19th century. He served as the President of Venezuela from 1835 to 1836.
Throughout history, the surname Carmen has been associated with various fields, including literature, music, and the arts. While its origins can be traced back to medieval Spain, the name has since spread globally, reflecting the far-reaching influence of Spanish culture and language.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Carmen
Among Census respondents with the surname Carmen, the largest self-reported group is White at 57.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (27.8%) and Black (6.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Carmen 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 Carmen surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White57.3% · 1,656
- Hispanic or Latino27.8% · 803
- Black or African American6.9% · 198
- Two or more races3.8% · 111
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.7% · 78
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.5% · 43
Timeline
Historical Census data for Carmen
Carmen 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
#10,193
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,161
+176 bearers (+5.9%)
Per 100,000 1.07
Rank movement Down 220 places
2020
#10,586
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,889
-272 bearers (-8.6%)
Per 100,000 0.97
Rank movement Down 393 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,973 | 2,985 | 1.11 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,193 | 3,161 | 1.07 | +176 bearers (+5.9%) | Down 220 places |
| 2020 | #10,586 | 2,889 | 0.97 | -272 bearers (-8.6%) | Down 393 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 Carmen 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 | #10,193 | #10,586 | -3.9% |
| Count | 3,161 | 2,889 | -8.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.07 | 0.97 | -9.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Carmen bearers went from 3,161 to 2,889 (-8.6% change). The surname moved down 393 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,193 to #10,586.
FAQ
Carmen surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Carmen?
Name Census estimates that about 3,313 living Americans carry the surname Carmen. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 103,457 residents.
How common is Carmen?
Carmen ranks #10,586 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.97 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,889 people with the surname Carmen. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,313), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.97 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.97 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Carmen.
Has Carmen become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Carmen went from 3,161 recorded bearers to 2,889. That is a decrease of 272 (-8.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,193 to #10,586.
What does the Census say about the background of Carmen?
Among Census respondents with the surname Carmen, the largest self-reported group is White at 57.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (27.8%) and Black (6.9%). 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 Carmen in the 2020 Census, accounting for 57.3% (1,656 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Carmen appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (57.3%), Hispanic (27.8%), Black (6.9%). 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 Carmen (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 Carmen mean?
A surname of Spanish origin referring to somebody from Carmel or Mount Carmel, or having an association with Carmelite monasticism. 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 Carmen (0.97 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 Carmen?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.