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

Carreras, 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 Carreras surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Carreras in America

Carreras is the 11865th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Carreras surname appeared 2,639 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 Carreras.

We can also compare 2010 data for Carreras 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 Carreras

The surname Carreras is of Spanish origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval era. It is derived from the Spanish word "carrera," which means "road" or "path." This surname likely arose as a locational name, referring to individuals who lived near a particular road or pathway.

The earliest recorded instances of the Carreras surname date back to the 13th century in Catalonia, a region in northeastern Spain. The name appears in various historical documents and records from this time period, often spelled as "Carrera" or "Carreras."

One notable example of the Carreras name can be found in the "Llibre de Repartiment," a document from the 13th century that recorded the distribution of lands and properties in the Kingdom of Valencia after the Reconquista. This document mentions several individuals with the surname Carreras, suggesting that the name was already well-established in that region.

During the 15th century, the Carreras family held significant influence and power in the city of Barcelona. Juan Carreras (1450-1516) was a prominent merchant and banker who played a crucial role in the city's economic affairs.

In the 16th century, the Carreras surname spread beyond Spain as a result of the Spanish colonization of the Americas. One notable figure from this era was Pedro de Carreras (1530-1591), a Spanish conquistador who participated in the conquest of Peru and served as a lieutenant under Francisco Pizarro.

The 17th century saw the rise of the Carreras family in the field of arts and culture. Juan Carreras (1602-1670) was a renowned painter from Valencia, known for his religious works and portraits.

In the 19th century, the Carreras name gained prominence in the world of opera. José Carreras (1846-1909) was a Spanish tenor and vocal teacher, recognized for his contributions to the operatic tradition in Barcelona.

Another notable figure with the Carreras surname is José Carreras (born 1946), a Spanish tenor and one of the Three Tenors, alongside Plácido Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest opera singers of the 20th century.

Throughout its history, the Carreras surname has been associated with various locations and place names, reflecting the geographical origins of different branches of the family. These include Carrera de Indias (referring to the Spanish trade routes with the Americas), Carreretas (a neighborhood in Barcelona), and Carrera del Darro (a street in Granada).

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Carreras

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

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

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

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