2000
#12,822
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,202
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.82
Rare Last name
Carron
A locational surname derived from various places in France or a Scottish river, likely referring to rocky land.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,143 Americans carry the last name Carron. That puts it at #15,142 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.63 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 159,941 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Carron 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Carron with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.1K
1 in 159,941
Census rank
#15,142
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,869 bearers of the surname Carron in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.63 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15142nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Carron, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.0%) and Black (5.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Carron
The surname Carron has its origins in Scotland, dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Scottish Gaelic word "carragh," meaning "rocky ground" or "rocky place." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with individuals who resided in or near areas with rocky terrain.
One of the earliest known references to the Carron surname can be found in the records of the Scots Peerage, which mentions a John Carron who lived in the late 16th century. Additionally, the name appears in various Scottish parish records from the 17th and 18th centuries, particularly in the regions of Stirlingshire and Lanarkshire, indicating its prevalence in those areas.
The Carron name is closely linked to the Carron Company, a renowned ironworks established in 1759 near the village of Carron, located in Falkirk, Scotland. The company played a significant role in the Industrial Revolution and was known for its production of high-quality cannons and other iron products. Notable figures associated with the Carron Company include Samuel Garbett (1717-1803), a prominent industrialist and one of the founders of the ironworks.
Another notable individual bearing the Carron surname was Robert Carron (1743-1793), a Scottish merchant and banker who served as the Lord Provost of Edinburgh from 1786 to 1788. His involvement in the banking sector and his civic duties in Edinburgh contributed to the recognition of the Carron name in Scotland's history.
In the literary world, William Carron (1821-1876) gained recognition as a Scottish poet and writer. He authored several works, including "Lays and Lyrics" and "Poems and Lyrics," which showcased his poetic talent and further solidified the Carron name in Scottish cultural heritage.
Lastly, the Carron surname also found its way into military history with Lieutenant-General Sir Thomas Carron (1789-1865), a British Army officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars and later became the Governor of Jamaica from 1851 to 1857.
These examples illustrate the rich history and diverse backgrounds associated with the Carron surname, spanning various fields and time periods, and solidifying its Scottish origins and significance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Carron
Among Census respondents with the surname Carron, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.0%) and Black (5.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Carron 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 Carron surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.5% · 1,560
- Hispanic or Latino6.0% · 112
- Black or African American5.6% · 104
- Two or more races3.5% · 66
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 19
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Carron
Carron 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
#13,517
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,244
+42 bearers (+1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.76
Rank movement Down 695 places
2020
#15,142
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,869
-375 bearers (-16.7%)
Per 100,000 0.63
Rank movement Down 1,625 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,822 | 2,202 | 0.82 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,517 | 2,244 | 0.76 | +42 bearers (+1.9%) | Down 695 places |
| 2020 | #15,142 | 1,869 | 0.63 | -375 bearers (-16.7%) | Down 1,625 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 Carron 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 | #13,517 | #15,142 | -12.0% |
| Count | 2,244 | 1,869 | -16.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.76 | 0.63 | -17.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Carron bearers went from 2,244 to 1,869 (-16.7% change). The surname moved down 1,625 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,517 to #15,142.
FAQ
Carron surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Carron?
Name Census estimates that about 2,143 living Americans carry the surname Carron. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 159,941 residents.
How common is Carron?
Carron ranks #15,142 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.63 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 1,869 people with the surname Carron. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,143), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.63 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.63 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 Carron.
Has Carron become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Carron went from 2,244 recorded bearers to 1,869. That is a decrease of 375 (-16.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,517 to #15,142.
What does the Census say about the background of Carron?
Among Census respondents with the surname Carron, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.0%) and Black (5.6%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Carron in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.5% (1,560 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Carron appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.5%), Hispanic (6.0%), Black (5.6%). 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 Carron (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 Carron mean?
A locational surname derived from various places in France or a Scottish river, likely referring to rocky land. 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 Carron (0.63 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 people are called Carron?
Find out how common the surname Carron is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.