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

Carson, 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 Carson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Carson in America

Carson is the 593rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Carson surname appeared 56,872 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 19 people would have the surname Carson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Carson 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 Carson

The surname Carson has its origins in Scotland, emerging in the 13th century. It is derived from the Gaelic personal name "Carsane," which means "rocky place." The earliest known bearers of this name resided in the regions of Ayrshire and Lanarkshire.

One of the earliest historical references to the name Carson can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which lists those who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England after his conquest of Scotland. The entry "William de Carsan" is recorded in these rolls, suggesting the name's use during this time period.

In the 16th century, the Carson surname appeared in various Scottish records, including the Register of the Great Seal of Scotland, where the name was spelled as "Carsane" and "Carsoun." This indicates the name's evolution from its original Gaelic form.

The earliest recorded example of the Carson surname dates back to 1548, when a John Carson was listed in the records of the Burgh of Prestwick, located in Ayrshire, Scotland.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the Carson surname. One of the most famous is Rachel Carson (1907-1964), an American marine biologist and conservationist whose book "Silent Spring" (1962) is considered a pivotal work in the modern environmental movement.

Another prominent figure is Samuel Carson (1798-1838), an American politician and lawyer who served as a United States Representative from North Carolina in the 1820s.

Sir Edward Carson (1854-1935), an Irish unionist politician and judge, played a significant role in the formation of Northern Ireland and served as the first Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland.

John Carson (1760-1835), an American politician and soldier, represented Virginia in the United States House of Representatives and served in the American Revolutionary War.

Christopher "Kit" Carson (1809-1868) was a renowned American frontiersman, trapper, and guide who led expeditions and military campaigns throughout the American West.

Place names and older spellings of places have also contributed to the Carson surname. For example, the town of Carson City in Nevada is named after the famous frontiersman Kit Carson.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Carson

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

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

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

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