Find out how popular the last name Caron is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Caron.

Caron, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Caron surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Caron in America

Caron is the 2817th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Caron surname appeared 12,810 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Caron.

We can also compare 2010 data for Caron to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Caron

The surname Caron is of French origin, deriving from the old French word 'caro' meaning 'square' or 'angular'. It first emerged in the 12th century in the northern regions of France, particularly in Normandy and Picardy. The name likely referred to someone with a square build or angular features.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname Caron dates back to the 13th century in the historical records of the town of Rouen in Normandy. It appears in the form 'Caron' in a census document from 1273. This spelling has remained consistent throughout the centuries.

In the 14th century, the name Caron can be found in the official records of the city of Amiens in Picardy. A notable figure was Jean Caron, a merchant and landowner who lived between 1325 and 1387. His name is documented in several municipal archives of the time.

The Caron surname also has a strong connection to the village of Caron, located in the Pas-de-Calais region of northern France. It is believed that some individuals adopted the name as a locative surname, referring to their place of origin or residence.

One of the earliest known bearers of the Caron surname was Philippe Caron, a French nobleman and military commander who lived from 1490 to 1560. He fought in the Italian Wars under King Francis I and is mentioned in various historical accounts of the time.

Another notable figure was René Caron, a French sculptor and architect born in 1615 in Rouen. He worked on several important projects in Paris, including the Church of Val-de-Grâce and the Château de Vincennes. His sculptures and architectural designs from the 17th century still stand today.

In the 18th century, the name Caron gained prominence with Jacques Caron, a French painter and engraver born in 1675 in Paris. He is renowned for his historical paintings and portraits, some of which are displayed in the Louvre Museum.

Jean-Baptiste Caron, born in 1789 in Normandy, was a prominent French lawyer and politician during the French Revolution. He served as a deputy in the National Convention and played a key role in drafting legal reforms.

The 19th century saw the birth of Adolphe Caron, a French composer and music educator, born in 1857 in Paris. He composed numerous works for orchestra and piano and taught at the Paris Conservatory.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Caron

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Caron.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Caron was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Caron has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Caron was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Caron, please contact us.

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