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

Carrera, 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 Carrera surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Carrera in America

Carrera is the 2203rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Carrera surname appeared 16,533 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 6 people would have the surname Carrera.

We can also compare 2010 data for Carrera 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 Carrera

The surname Carrera has its origins in Spain, where it first emerged during the medieval period. It is derived from the Spanish word "carrera," which means "race" or "career." The name likely originated as a descriptive nickname for a person who was known for their speed or agility, perhaps in a profession or activity that involved racing or moving swiftly.

In the early 13th century, the name Carrera appeared in various Spanish records, such as the "Libro de las Behetrías" (Book of Beholdings), which documented land holdings and nobility in the Kingdom of Castile. One of the earliest known bearers of this surname was Pedro Carrera, a nobleman mentioned in a document dated 1235.

The surname Carrera also has connections to place names in Spain. For instance, the town of Carrera de Torrepadre in the province of Soria was historically associated with this surname, suggesting that some individuals may have adopted the name based on their place of origin or residence.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Carrera. One of the most famous was Rafael Carrera (1814-1865), a Guatemalan military officer and politician who served as the President of Guatemala from 1844 to 1848 and again from 1851 to 1865. Another prominent figure was Adolfo Carreras (1826-1889), a Spanish entrepreneur who founded the tobacco company Tabacalera, which later became part of the Altadis Group.

In the arts, the name Carrera is associated with individuals such as Manuel Carrera (1913-1988), a Mexican painter and sculptor known for his murals and public artworks, and Rafael Carrera Andrade (1903-1978), an Ecuadorian poet and diplomat who served as the Ecuadorian ambassador to several countries.

The name Carrera has also been present in the world of sports. One notable bearer was Juan Manuel Fangio (1911-1995), an Argentine racing driver who won five Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles, making him one of the most successful drivers in the history of the sport. Another sports figure was José Carrera (1921-2020), a Spanish footballer who played as a defender and spent most of his career with FC Barcelona.

These are just a few examples of individuals who have carried the surname Carrera throughout history, highlighting its Spanish origins and its connections to various fields and professions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Carrera

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

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

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

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