2000
#13,648
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,039
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.76
Rare Last name
Carreras
A Spanish occupational surname referring to someone who transports goods, often with a cart or wagon.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,112 Americans carry the last name Carreras. That puts it at #11,158 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.91 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 110,140 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Carreras 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.
Bearers in the US
3.1K
1 in 110,140
Census rank
#11,158
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,714 bearers of the surname Carreras in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.91 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11158th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Carreras, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 82.4%. The next largest groups are White (14.2%) and Black (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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 The name appears in various historical documents and records from this time period, often spelled as "Carrera" or "Carreras."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).
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Carreras
Among Census respondents with the surname Carreras, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 82.4%. The next largest groups are White (14.2%) and Black (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Carreras 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 Carreras surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino82.4% · 2,235
- White14.2% · 386
- Black or African American1.8% · 48
- Two or more races0.6% · 17
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 16
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Carreras
Carreras 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
#11,865
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,639
+600 bearers (+29.4%)
Per 100,000 0.89
Rank movement Up 1,783 places
2020
#11,158
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,714
+75 bearers (+2.8%)
Per 100,000 0.91
Rank movement Up 707 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,648 | 2,039 | 0.76 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,865 | 2,639 | 0.89 | +600 bearers (+29.4%) | Up 1,783 places |
| 2020 | #11,158 | 2,714 | 0.91 | +75 bearers (+2.8%) | Up 707 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 Carreras 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 | #11,865 | #11,158 | 6.0% |
| Count | 2,639 | 2,714 | 2.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.89 | 0.91 | 2.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Carreras bearers went from 2,639 to 2,714 (+2.8% change). The surname moved up 707 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,865 to #11,158.
FAQ
Carreras surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Carreras?
Name Census estimates that about 3,112 living Americans carry the surname Carreras. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 110,140 residents.
How common is Carreras?
Carreras ranks #11,158 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.91 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,714 people with the surname Carreras. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,112), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.91 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.91 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Carreras.
Has Carreras become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Carreras went from 2,639 recorded bearers to 2,714. That is an increase of 75 (+2.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #11,865 to #11,158.
What does the Census say about the background of Carreras?
Among Census respondents with the surname Carreras, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 82.4%. The next largest groups are White (14.2%) and Black (1.8%). 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 Carreras in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.4% (2,235 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Carreras appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (82.4%), White (14.2%), Black (1.8%). 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 Carreras (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 Carreras mean?
A Spanish occupational surname referring to someone who transports goods, often with a cart or wagon. 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 Carreras (0.91 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 common is the surname Carreras?
See how many people have the last name Carreras on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.