2000
#6,236
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,052
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.87
Uncommon Last name
Caro
Derived from the Latin word "carus," meaning beloved or dear, or from a shortened form of the name "Carolina."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 11,441 Americans carry the last name Caro. That puts it at #3,490 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.34 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 29,958 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Caro 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 Caro with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
11K
1 in 29,958
Census rank
#3,490
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
10.0K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 9,977 bearers of the surname Caro in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.34 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3490th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Caro, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 77.0%. The next largest groups are White (17.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Caro
The surname Caro originates from Italy, with records dating back to the late 14th century. It is believed to have derived from the Latin word "carus," meaning "dear" or "beloved." This name was likely initially given as a nickname to someone who was highly regarded or cherished within their community.
In the 15th century, the name Caro appeared in various Italian records, including the Catasto Fiorentino, a tax record from Florence. One notable example is Niccolo di Giovanni Caro, a merchant from Pisa who lived around 1430.
The earliest known record of the surname Caro can be found in a document from 1390, which mentions a Jacobo Caro from the city of Genoa. This suggests that the name may have originated in the northern regions of Italy before spreading to other areas.
During the Renaissance period, several notable individuals bore the surname Caro. Annibal Caro (1507-1566) was a renowned Italian poet and translator who is best known for his translation of Virgil's Aeneid into Italian verse. Another famous bearer of the name was Cardinal Girolamo Caro (1537-1611), a Catholic prelate and diplomat who served as the Bishop of Palestrina.
In the 17th century, the name Caro appeared in records from the Spanish city of Seville, indicating that Italian families with this surname may have migrated to Spain during this period. One example is Juan Caro, a merchant who lived in Seville in the 1650s.
As the surname spread across Europe, it also found its way to England. In the 18th century, a notable figure was the English author and translator Robert Caro (1734-1787), who is remembered for his translations of ancient Greek and Latin texts.
Other notable individuals with the surname Caro include the French writer and philosopher Elme-Marie Caro (1826-1887), who was born in Rennes, and the Portuguese politician and diplomat José Caro (1844-1930), who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs for Portugal in the late 19th century.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Caro
Among Census respondents with the surname Caro, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 77.0%. The next largest groups are White (17.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Caro 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 Caro surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino77.0% · 7,683
- White17.0% · 1,695
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.8% · 277
- Black or African American1.9% · 193
- Two or more races1.0% · 104
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 25
Timeline
Historical Census data for Caro
Caro 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
#3,545
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,064
+5,012 bearers (+99.2%)
Per 100,000 3.41
Rank movement Up 2,691 places
2020
#3,490
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,977
-87 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 3.34
Rank movement Up 55 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,236 | 5,052 | 1.87 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,545 | 10,064 | 3.41 | +5,012 bearers (+99.2%) | Up 2,691 places |
| 2020 | #3,490 | 9,977 | 3.34 | -87 bearers (-0.9%) | Up 55 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 Caro 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 | #3,545 | #3,490 | 1.6% |
| Count | 10,064 | 9,977 | -0.9% |
| Per 100K | 3.41 | 3.34 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Caro bearers went from 10,064 to 9,977 (-0.9% change). The surname moved up 55 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,545 to #3,490.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Caro
FAQ
Caro surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Caro?
Name Census estimates that about 11,441 living Americans carry the surname Caro. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 29,958 residents.
How common is Caro?
Caro ranks #3,490 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.34 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 9,977 people with the surname Caro. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (11,441), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.34 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.34 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 Caro.
Has Caro become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Caro went from 10,064 recorded bearers to 9,977. That is a decrease of 87 (-0.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #3,545 to #3,490.
What does the Census say about the background of Caro?
Among Census respondents with the surname Caro, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 77.0%. The next largest groups are White (17.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.8%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Caro in the 2020 Census, accounting for 77.0% (7,683 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Caro appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (77.0%), White (17.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.8%). 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 Caro (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 Caro mean?
Derived from the Latin word "carus," meaning beloved or dear, or from a shortened form of the name "Carolina." 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 Caro (3.34 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 Caro?
Want to know how many people are called Caro? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.