2000
#13,675
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,034
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.75
Rare Last name
Carte
An occupational surname referring to someone who transported goods by cart or wagon.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,323 Americans carry the last name Carte. That puts it at #14,226 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.68 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 147,548 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Carte 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 Carte with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.3K
1 in 147,548
Census rank
#14,226
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,026 bearers of the surname Carte in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.68 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14226th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Carte, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.3%. The next largest groups are Black (5.2%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Carte
The surname Carte originates from France, where it first emerged in the early 12th century. It is derived from the Old French word "carte," meaning "map" or "chart." This name likely referred to an early cartographer or map-maker, suggesting that one of the first bearers of this surname may have been involved in this profession.
The Carte surname was particularly prevalent in the northern regions of France, such as Normandy and Brittany. It is believed that some of the earliest recorded instances of this name can be found in medieval French records and manuscripts from these areas.
One of the earliest known bearers of this surname was Guillaume Carte, a French cartographer born in Rouen, Normandy, around 1190. He is credited with creating some of the first detailed maps of the French territories during the early 13th century.
In England, the Carte surname can be traced back to the Norman Conquest of 1066, when many French settlers arrived and established themselves in various parts of the country. The Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landowners commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, contains several references to individuals with the surname Carte or similar spellings, such as Cartier and Cartwright.
Another notable figure with this surname was Jean Carte, a French explorer and navigator born in Dieppe, Normandy, in 1525. He is renowned for his voyages to the Americas, where he mapped and charted several coastal regions, including parts of modern-day Canada and the Caribbean islands.
In the 17th century, Sir Thomas Carte (1686-1754), an English historian and writer, gained prominence for his works on the English Civil War and the life of James Duke of Ormond. He was born in Warwickshire and is considered one of the most significant chroniclers of this turbulent period in English history.
During the 18th century, Samuel Carte (1708-1774), an English clergyman and antiquarian, made significant contributions to the study of Irish history and antiquities. He was born in Coventry and is best known for his work "The Life of James Duke of Ormond," which was completed by his father, Thomas Carte.
In the 19th century, Richard D'Oyly Carte (1844-1901), an English impresario and theatrical manager, played a pivotal role in the promotion and production of the famous Gilbert and Sullivan operas. He was born in London and is credited with establishing the Savoy Theatre, which became a renowned venue for these popular operettas.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Carte
Among Census respondents with the surname Carte, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.3%. The next largest groups are Black (5.2%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Carte 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 Carte surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.3% · 1,769
- Black or African American5.2% · 105
- Two or more races3.4% · 69
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 67
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 8
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Carte
Carte 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
#13,306
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,292
+258 bearers (+12.7%)
Per 100,000 0.78
Rank movement Up 369 places
2020
#14,226
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,026
-266 bearers (-11.6%)
Per 100,000 0.68
Rank movement Down 920 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,675 | 2,034 | 0.75 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,306 | 2,292 | 0.78 | +258 bearers (+12.7%) | Up 369 places |
| 2020 | #14,226 | 2,026 | 0.68 | -266 bearers (-11.6%) | Down 920 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 Carte 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 | #13,306 | #14,226 | -6.9% |
| Count | 2,292 | 2,026 | -11.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.78 | 0.68 | -13.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Carte bearers went from 2,292 to 2,026 (-11.6% change). The surname moved down 920 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,306 to #14,226.
FAQ
Carte surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Carte?
Name Census estimates that about 2,323 living Americans carry the surname Carte. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 147,548 residents.
How common is Carte?
Carte ranks #14,226 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.68 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 2,026 people with the surname Carte. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,323), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.68 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.68 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 Carte.
Has Carte become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Carte went from 2,292 recorded bearers to 2,026. That is a decrease of 266 (-11.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,306 to #14,226.
What does the Census say about the background of Carte?
Among Census respondents with the surname Carte, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.3%. The next largest groups are Black (5.2%) and Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Carte in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.3% (1,769 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Carte appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.3%), Black (5.2%), Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Carte (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 Carte mean?
An occupational surname referring to someone who transported goods by cart or wagon. 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 Carte (0.68 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 common is the surname Carte?
If you just want to know how common the surname Carte is, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.