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

Carthan, 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 Carthan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Carthan in America

Carthan is the 49087th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Carthan surname appeared 429 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 Carthan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Carthan 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 Carthan

The surname Carthan originates from the ancient Scottish region of Galloway. It is derived from the Old Norse words "kart" and "haughr," meaning "a rocky hill" or "a rocky mound." This suggests that the name likely referred to a topographical feature where an early bearer of the name resided or originated.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Carthan can be traced back to the 13th century. One of the first documented references is found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which list individuals who swore fealty to King Edward I of England. Among them was a certain Wylyelmus de Carthan from Wigtownshire.

In the 14th century, the surname appears in various medieval charters and records from the Scottish Borders region. For example, a John Carthan is mentioned in a charter from 1328 relating to lands in Berwickshire.

During the 16th century, the Carthan family seemed to have established a presence in the Scottish Lowlands. A notable figure was Robert Carthan, who was born in 1542 in Lanarkshire and served as a church elder in the Parish of Dalserf.

In the 17th century, the surname gained further prominence with the emergence of Alexander Carthan, a Scottish clergyman born in 1620 in Ayrshire. He was a prominent figure in the Church of Scotland and served as the minister of Strathmiglo Parish in Fife.

Another individual of historical significance was James Carthan, born in 1688 in Stirlingshire. He was a respected scholar and author of the influential work "A Treatise on the Scottish Reformation," published in 1745.

The Carthan surname also has a connection to the Scottish Highlands, with records showing a family of that name residing in Inverness-shire during the 18th century. One notable member was Duncan Carthan, born in 1732, who was a renowned poet and bard in the Gaelic tradition.

Throughout its long history, the Carthan surname has been associated with various locations across Scotland, including Wigtownshire, Berwickshire, Lanarkshire, Ayrshire, Fife, Stirlingshire, and Inverness-shire, reflecting the family's presence and influence in different regions of the country.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Carthan

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

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

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

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