2000
#11,684
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,460
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.91
Rare Last name
Carnell
An English locational surname derived from a place name meaning "rocky hill."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,783 Americans carry the last name Carnell. That puts it at #12,239 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.81 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 123,160 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Carnell 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 Carnell with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.8K
1 in 123,160
Census rank
#12,239
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,427 bearers of the surname Carnell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.81 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12239th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Carnell, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.3%. The next largest groups are Black (11.9%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Carnell
The surname Carnell is believed to have originated in England, and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is thought to have derived from the Old English words "carn" meaning a rocky hill or cairn, and "hyll" meaning a hill, thus suggesting that the name was likely given to someone who lived near a rocky hill or cairn.
The earliest recorded instance of the name Carnell can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1195, which mention a Roger de Carnhull. This suggests that the name was initially spelled with an 'h' before evolving to its current form.
During the 13th century, the name appears in various records such as the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire, where a William de Carnel is mentioned in 1272. The Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1279 also reference a John de Carnel.
In the 14th century, the surname is found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire, with a John Carnel listed in 1327. The Lay Subsidy Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1380 mention a Thomas Carnell, indicating the spelling had evolved closer to its modern form.
One of the earliest notable figures with the surname Carnell was Sir John Carnell, a Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire in the 16th century, who served in the House of Commons from 1554 to 1555.
In the 17th century, Edward Carnell (1619-1676) was an English clergyman and scholar who served as the Archdeacon of Winchester. He published several works on theology and philosophy during his lifetime.
Sir Thomas Carnell (1670-1747) was a British politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Cambridgeshire from 1708 to 1747. He was also the High Sheriff of Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire in 1701.
In the 18th century, Sir John Carnell (1734-1804) was a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the American Revolutionary War and the French Revolutionary Wars. He attained the rank of Admiral and was knighted for his service.
James Carnell (1805-1875) was a prominent English architect in the 19th century, known for his work on several churches and public buildings in London and the surrounding areas.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Carnell
Among Census respondents with the surname Carnell, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.3%. The next largest groups are Black (11.9%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Carnell 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 Carnell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White79.3% · 1,925
- Black or African American11.9% · 290
- Two or more races4.4% · 107
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 68
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.1% · 26
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Carnell
Carnell 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
#11,383
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,770
+310 bearers (+12.6%)
Per 100,000 0.94
Rank movement Up 301 places
2020
#12,239
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,427
-343 bearers (-12.4%)
Per 100,000 0.81
Rank movement Down 856 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,684 | 2,460 | 0.91 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,383 | 2,770 | 0.94 | +310 bearers (+12.6%) | Up 301 places |
| 2020 | #12,239 | 2,427 | 0.81 | -343 bearers (-12.4%) | Down 856 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 Carnell 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 | #11,383 | #12,239 | -7.5% |
| Count | 2,770 | 2,427 | -12.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.94 | 0.81 | -13.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Carnell bearers went from 2,770 to 2,427 (-12.4% change). The surname moved down 856 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,383 to #12,239.
FAQ
Carnell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Carnell?
Name Census estimates that about 2,783 living Americans carry the surname Carnell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 123,160 residents.
How common is Carnell?
Carnell ranks #12,239 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.81 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 2,427 people with the surname Carnell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,783), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.81 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.81 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 Carnell.
Has Carnell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Carnell went from 2,770 recorded bearers to 2,427. That is a decrease of 343 (-12.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,383 to #12,239.
What does the Census say about the background of Carnell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Carnell, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.3%. The next largest groups are Black (11.9%) and Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Carnell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 79.3% (1,925 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Carnell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (79.3%), Black (11.9%), Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Carnell (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 Carnell mean?
An English locational surname derived from a place name meaning "rocky hill." 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 Carnell (0.81 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 are called Carnell?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Carnell on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.