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

Carrethers, 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 Carrethers surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Carrethers in America

Carrethers is the 119508th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Carrethers surname appeared 145 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Carrethers.

We can also compare 2010 data for Carrethers 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 Carrethers

The surname "CARRETHERS" is believed to have originated in Scotland, with the earliest records dating back to the 13th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "carr," meaning a rock or rocky hill, and "ather," meaning a place or location, suggesting that the name originally referred to someone who lived near a rocky hill or outcrop.

One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a collection of homage rolls submitted to King Edward I of England from Scottish nobles and landholders. The name is recorded as "Carruthers" in this document, indicating that the spelling has evolved over time.

The Carrethers family is believed to have held lands in the Scottish Borders region, particularly in the area around the town of Carruthers, which likely took its name from the family. This connection to a specific place is a common feature of many Scottish surnames.

In the 15th century, the Carrethers family was involved in a long-standing feud with the Douglas family, another powerful Scottish clan. This feud is mentioned in historical records and literary works of the time, including Sir Walter Scott's novel "The Betrothed."

Notable individuals with the surname Carrethers include:

1. William Carrethers (c. 1505 - 1568), a Scottish landowner and supporter of the Reformation in Scotland.
2. John Carrethers (1677 - 1737), a Scottish Episcopal clergyman and author of several religious works.
3. Robert Carrethers (1799 - 1874), a Scottish-born American businessman and politician who served as the Mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio.
4. Mary Carruthers (1952 - present), a British-born American scholar and professor of English literature at New York University.
5. John Carruthers (1836 - 1914), a Scottish-Canadian politician and businessman who served as the 13th Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba.

Over time, the spelling of the surname has varied, with alternative forms such as Carruthers, Carothers, and Carathers appearing in historical records. However, the connection to the rocky hills and the Scottish Borders region remains a consistent thread throughout the history of this ancient surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Carrethers

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

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

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

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