2000
#10,893
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,682
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.99
Rare Last name
Cartier
A French occupational surname referring to a maker or transporter of carts or wagons.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,173 Americans carry the last name Cartier. That puts it at #10,981 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.93 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 108,022 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cartier 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
3.2K
1 in 108,022
Census rank
#10,981
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,767 bearers of the surname Cartier in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.93 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10981st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cartier, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.9%. The next largest groups are Black (4.8%) and Hispanic (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cartier
The surname Cartier originated in France during the Middle Ages. It derives from the Old French word "cartier," meaning a carter or wagon driver. This occupation-based surname reflects the trades and professions of the time when surnames first came into use.
The earliest known records of the Cartier name date back to the 13th century. One notable mention is in the Échevins de Reims, a register of municipal officials from the city of Reims, where a Jehan Cartier is listed in 1275.
By the 14th century, variations of the name had emerged, such as Cartier, Cartiere, and Cartyers. These spellings can be found in various medieval records, including tax rolls and parish registers.
One of the most famous bearers of the Cartier surname was Jacques Cartier (1491-1557), the French explorer who conducted three voyages to what is now Canada. He is credited with claiming the territory for France and giving Canada its name, derived from the Iroquoian word "kanata," meaning village or settlement.
Another notable Cartier was Thomas Cartier (1879-1962), a French-born American jeweler and watchmaker. He founded the Cartier Jewelry Company, which became renowned for its luxury jewelry and timepieces.
In the realm of literature, Cartier is the surname of the French poet and novelist René Cartier (1904-1992), known for his works exploring themes of love, loss, and the human condition.
The Cartier name also appears in historical records from other parts of Europe, such as Belgium and Switzerland, where it may have been introduced through trade or migration.
Throughout history, the Cartier surname has been associated with various professions, from skilled craftsmen to explorers and artists, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of those who bore this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cartier
Among Census respondents with the surname Cartier, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.9%. The next largest groups are Black (4.8%) and Hispanic (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Cartier 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 Cartier surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.9% · 2,321
- Black or African American4.8% · 134
- Hispanic or Latino4.7% · 131
- Two or more races4.5% · 124
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 32
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 25
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cartier
Cartier 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
#11,061
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,873
+191 bearers (+7.1%)
Per 100,000 0.97
Rank movement Down 168 places
2020
#10,981
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,767
-106 bearers (-3.7%)
Per 100,000 0.93
Rank movement Up 80 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,893 | 2,682 | 0.99 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,061 | 2,873 | 0.97 | +191 bearers (+7.1%) | Down 168 places |
| 2020 | #10,981 | 2,767 | 0.93 | -106 bearers (-3.7%) | Up 80 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 Cartier 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 | #11,061 | #10,981 | 0.7% |
| Count | 2,873 | 2,767 | -3.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.97 | 0.93 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cartier bearers went from 2,873 to 2,767 (-3.7% change). The surname moved up 80 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,061 to #10,981.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Cartier
FAQ
Cartier surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cartier?
Name Census estimates that about 3,173 living Americans carry the surname Cartier. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 108,022 residents.
How common is Cartier?
Cartier ranks #10,981 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.93 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 2,767 people with the surname Cartier. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,173), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.93 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.93 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 Cartier.
Has Cartier become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cartier went from 2,873 recorded bearers to 2,767. That is a decrease of 106 (-3.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #11,061 to #10,981.
What does the Census say about the background of Cartier?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cartier, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.9%. The next largest groups are Black (4.8%) and Hispanic (4.7%). 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 Cartier in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.9% (2,321 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cartier appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.9%), Black (4.8%), Hispanic (4.7%). 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 Cartier (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 Cartier mean?
A French occupational surname referring to a maker or transporter of carts or wagons. 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 Cartier (0.93 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 share the surname Cartier?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.