2000
#130,443
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Carmines
An Italian surname referring to someone with red or reddish hair.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 118 Americans carry the last name Carmines. That puts it at #154,182 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,904,698 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Carmines 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.
Bearers in the US
118
1 in 2,904,698
Census rank
#154,182
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
103
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 103 bearers of the surname Carmines in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154182nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Carmines, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.8%) and Two or More Races (5.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Carmines
The surname Carmines has its origins in Italy, specifically from the region of Campania. It is derived from the Italian word "carmine," which means crimson or deep red in color. This name likely originated during the medieval period, possibly as early as the 11th or 12th century.
One theory suggests that the name may have been given to individuals who worked with dyes or pigments, particularly those involved in the production of the deep red carmine dye derived from crushed insects. It could also have been a nickname referring to someone with a reddish complexion or hair color.
Some of the earliest recorded instances of the name Carmines can be found in historical documents from the city of Naples and surrounding areas. For example, a merchant named Pietro Carmines is mentioned in a trade record from the year 1278. Another early reference is to a nobleman named Gian Carlo Carmines, who lived in the town of Salerno during the 15th century.
Over the centuries, the surname Carmines has been spelled in various ways, such as Carmine, Carmino, and Carmini. Some notable individuals who bore this name include the Italian painter Antonio Carmines (1630-1719), known for his religious works and frescoes in churches throughout Naples and Rome.
Another notable figure was Francesco Carmines (1785-1842), an Italian composer and violinist who was a contemporary of Rossini and Donizetti. He wrote several operas and instrumental works that were popular during his lifetime.
In the literary world, Vincenzo Carmines (1859-1922) was an Italian poet and playwright from Naples. He wrote several volumes of poetry and plays that explored themes of love, loss, and the struggles of the working class.
Moving to more recent times, Sammy Carmines (1924-2002) was an American saxophonist and bandleader known for his contributions to the swing and big band genres. He performed with many legendary musicians throughout his career, including Frank Sinatra and Benny Goodman.
Finally, Vito Carmines (1942-2018) was an American film producer and screenwriter. He co-wrote the screenplay for the acclaimed movie "Raging Bull" directed by Martin Scorsese, for which he received an Academy Award nomination.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Carmines
Among Census respondents with the surname Carmines, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.8%) and Two or More Races (5.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Carmines 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 Carmines surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.4% · 90
- Hispanic or Latino5.8% · 6
- Two or more races5.8% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Carmines
Carmines 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
#144,141
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
-5 bearers (-4.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 13,698 places
2020
#154,182
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-12 bearers (-10.4%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 10,041 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #130,443 | 120 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #144,141 | 115 | 0.04 | -5 bearers (-4.2%) | Down 13,698 places |
| 2020 | #154,182 | 103 | 0.03 | -12 bearers (-10.4%) | Down 10,041 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 Carmines 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 | #144,141 | #154,182 | -7.0% |
| Count | 115 | 103 | -10.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Carmines bearers went from 115 to 103 (-10.4% change). The surname moved down 10,041 positions in the national ranking, going from #144,141 to #154,182.
FAQ
Carmines surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Carmines?
Name Census estimates that about 118 living Americans carry the surname Carmines. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,904,698 residents.
How common is Carmines?
Carmines ranks #154,182 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 103 people with the surname Carmines. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (118), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Carmines.
Has Carmines become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Carmines went from 115 recorded bearers to 103. That is a decrease of 12 (-10.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #144,141 to #154,182.
What does the Census say about the background of Carmines?
Among Census respondents with the surname Carmines, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.8%) and Two or More Races (5.8%). 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 Carmines in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.4% (90 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Carmines appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.4%), Hispanic (5.8%), Two or More Races (5.8%). 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 Carmines (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 Carmines mean?
An Italian surname referring to someone with red or reddish hair. 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 Carmines (0.03 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 have the surname Carmines?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.