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

Carraway, 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 Carraway surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Carraway in America

Carraway is the 8080th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Carraway surname appeared 4,103 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Carraway.

We can also compare 2010 data for Carraway 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 Carraway

The surname Carraway is believed to have originated in England, specifically in the county of Somerset. It is derived from the Old English words "carr" meaning a rock or rocky place, and "weg" meaning a path or road. The name likely referred to someone who lived near a rocky path or road.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Carraway can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Carraweia". This suggests that the name was already in use by the late 11th century in England.

During the Middle Ages, the name was often spelled in various ways, such as Caraway, Carawaye, and Carewei. These variations reflect the inconsistencies in spelling and pronunciation during that time period.

In the 14th century, there are records of a John Carraway who was a landowner in the village of Stoke St. Gregory, Somerset. This indicates that the name had become established in that region by that point.

One notable individual with the surname Carraway was Sir Giles Carraway (c.1570-1638), who was an English politician and Member of Parliament for Weymouth and Melcombe Regis during the reign of King Charles I.

Another historical figure was Richard Carraway (c.1640-1720), a wealthy merchant and landowner in the American colony of Virginia. He played a role in the establishment of the city of Norfolk and served as a member of the House of Burgesses.

In the 18th century, a prominent bearer of the name was Elizabeth Carraway (1715-1788), an English writer and poet who published several works, including a collection of poems titled "The Muse's Favourite" in 1763.

Moving into the 19th century, one can find references to a Charles Carraway (1815-1892), who was a British explorer and naturalist known for his expeditions to the Amazon rainforest and his contributions to the study of South American flora and fauna.

Additionally, there was a Thomas Carraway (1850-1919), an American businessman and philanthropist who made his fortune in the textile industry and donated funds for the establishment of several schools and libraries in his home state of North Carolina.

These examples illustrate the long history and geographical spread of the Carraway surname, which has its roots in medieval England but has also been carried by notable individuals across various fields and countries over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Carraway

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

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 Carraway 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 Carraway 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 Carraway was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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