2000
#4,012
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,129
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.01
Uncommon Last name
Carrion
A surname derived from the Spanish word for "carrion" or "decaying flesh," likely referring to an ancestor's occupation.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 12,158 Americans carry the last name Carrion. That puts it at #3,329 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.55 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 28,192 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Carrion 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
12K
1 in 28,192
Census rank
#3,329
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
11K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 10,602 bearers of the surname Carrion in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.55 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3329th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Carrion, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 87.3%. The next largest groups are White (8.7%) and Black (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Carrion
The surname Carrion has its origins in Spain, dating back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Spanish word "carrion," which means "carcass" or "decaying flesh." The name likely originated from a place name or a nickname associated with a trade or occupation related to the handling or disposal of animal carcasses.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Carrion can be found in the Becerro de las Behetrías, a medieval census conducted in the 14th century during the reign of King Pedro I of Castile. This document mentions several individuals bearing the surname Carrion, suggesting that the name was already in use at that time.
In the 15th century, there are records of a notable figure named Juan Carrion, a prominent merchant and financier from Seville who played a significant role in the economic affairs of the Spanish Crown during the reign of King Juan II of Castile (1406-1454).
Another historical figure with the surname Carrion was Diego Carrion, a Spanish soldier and explorer who accompanied Hernán Cortés on his expedition to conquer Mexico in the early 16th century. Carrion participated in several battles against the Aztecs and is mentioned in some accounts of the conquest.
In the 17th century, a renowned Spanish painter named Juan de Carrión (1614-1671) gained recognition for his religious works and portraits. He was born in Seville and is considered one of the most influential artists of the Spanish Baroque period.
During the 18th century, a notable individual named Pedro Carrion (1733-1818) made significant contributions to the field of medicine. He was a Spanish physician and anatomist who studied the effects of yellow fever and conducted groundbreaking research on infectious diseases.
It is worth noting that the surname Carrion has also been associated with various place names in Spain, such as Carrión de los Condes, a town located in the province of Palencia, and Carrión de los Céspedes, a municipality in the province of Seville. These place names may have influenced the origin and spread of the surname in different regions of Spain.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Carrion
Among Census respondents with the surname Carrion, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 87.3%. The next largest groups are White (8.7%) and Black (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Carrion 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 Carrion surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino87.3% · 9,255
- White8.7% · 922
- Black or African American2.1% · 221
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.3% · 141
- Two or more races0.4% · 45
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 18
Timeline
Historical Census data for Carrion
Carrion 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
#3,464
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,316
+2,187 bearers (+26.9%)
Per 100,000 3.50
Rank movement Up 548 places
2020
#3,329
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,602
+286 bearers (+2.8%)
Per 100,000 3.55
Rank movement Up 135 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,012 | 8,129 | 3.01 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,464 | 10,316 | 3.50 | +2,187 bearers (+26.9%) | Up 548 places |
| 2020 | #3,329 | 10,602 | 3.55 | +286 bearers (+2.8%) | Up 135 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 Carrion 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 | #3,464 | #3,329 | 3.9% |
| Count | 10,316 | 10,602 | 2.8% |
| Per 100K | 3.50 | 3.55 | 1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Carrion bearers went from 10,316 to 10,602 (+2.8% change). The surname moved up 135 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,464 to #3,329.
FAQ
Carrion surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Carrion?
Name Census estimates that about 12,158 living Americans carry the surname Carrion. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 28,192 residents.
How common is Carrion?
Carrion ranks #3,329 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.55 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 10,602 people with the surname Carrion. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (12,158), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.55 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.55 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Carrion.
Has Carrion become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Carrion went from 10,316 recorded bearers to 10,602. That is an increase of 286 (+2.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #3,464 to #3,329.
What does the Census say about the background of Carrion?
Among Census respondents with the surname Carrion, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 87.3%. The next largest groups are White (8.7%) and Black (2.1%). 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 Carrion in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.3% (9,255 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Carrion appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (87.3%), White (8.7%), Black (2.1%). 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 Carrion (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 Carrion mean?
A surname derived from the Spanish word for "carrion" or "decaying flesh," likely referring to an ancestor's occupation. 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 Carrion (3.55 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 many Americans have the surname Carrion?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.