Carrere
A French surname derived from the word "carrière" meaning either a quarry or a busy road.
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 446 Americans carry the last name Carrere. That puts it at #53,316 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.13 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 768,507 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Carrere surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, 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
446
1 in 768,507
Census rank
#53,316
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
388
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 388 bearers of the surname Carrere in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.13 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 53316th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Carrere, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (14.9%) and Black (8.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Carrere
The surname Carrere has its origins in France, with roots dating back to the 12th century. The name is derived from the Occitan word "carriera," which means "path" or "road." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who lived near a road or a pathway.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Livre des Bourgeois de Gand, a register of citizens in the city of Ghent, Belgium, from the year 1200. The entry lists a person named "Guillelmus Carrere," indicating the presence of the surname in the region during that time period.
In the 13th century, the Carrere family was well-established in the Languedoc region of southern France. Notable members of this family included Bertrand Carrere, a knight who fought in the Crusades and was mentioned in a chronicle from 1248.
During the 14th century, the Carrere name appeared in various records across southern France, particularly in the areas around Toulouse and Carcassonne. One notable individual was Pierre Carrere, a wealthy merchant from Toulouse who was recorded in a tax register from 1376.
The Carrere family also had a presence in Spain, where the name was sometimes spelled "Carrera." One notable individual from this branch was Juan de la Carrera, a Spanish explorer who accompanied Christopher Columbus on his second voyage to the Americas in 1493.
In the 16th century, a branch of the Carrere family settled in the French region of Béarn, where the name became associated with the village of Carrère-Salies. This village is mentioned in a document from 1589, which refers to a "Pey de Carrère" as a local landowner.
Other notable individuals with the surname Carrere include:
1. Jean-Baptiste Carrere (1665-1736), a French architect and designer of the famous Château de Maisons-Laffitte.
2. Molière (Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, 1622-1673), the renowned French playwright and actor, whose mother's maiden name was Carrere.
3. Tina Carrere (born 1967), an American actress and former model, best known for her roles in the films "Wayne's World" and "True Lies."
4. Emmanuel Carrere (born 1957), a French writer and screenwriter, known for his non-fiction works such as "The Adversary" and "Limonov."
5. Jean-Claude Carrière (1931-2021), a French novelist, screenwriter, and actor, who collaborated with filmmakers like Luis Buñuel and Miloš Forman.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Carrere
Among Census respondents with the surname Carrere, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (14.9%) and Black (8.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Carrere bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 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.
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 Carrere surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White71.1%
- Hispanic or Latino14.9%
- Black or African American8.8%
- American Indian and Alaska Native3.1%
Year on year
2010 vs 2010 Census
How has the Carrere surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
| Metric | 2010 | 2010 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #53,316 | #53,316 | 0.0% |
| Count | 388 | 388 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.13 | 0.13 | 0.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2010 Census, the number of Carrere bearers went from 388 to 388 (+0.0% change). The surname held its position in the national ranking, going from #53,316 to #53,316.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Carrere
FAQ
Carrere surname: questions and answers
How common is the last name Carrere?
The surname Carrere holds position #53,316 in the US Census Bureau's surname ranking, with an estimated 446 living bearers. It occurs at a rate of 0.13 per 100,000 Americans.
What is the ethnic background of the Carrere surname?
Among Census respondents with the surname Carrere, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (14.9%) and Black (8.8%). These figures come from the 2010 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Where does this surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These tables list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2010 Census, along with a frequency rate and self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.