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

Carty, 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 Carty surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Carty in America

Carty is the 5497th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Carty surname appeared 6,332 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Carty.

We can also compare 2010 data for Carty 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 Carty

The surname Carty originated from Ireland, specifically in County Donegal. It is derived from the Gaelic word "cárthaigh," meaning "fortified town" or "settlement." The name likely emerged during the Middle Ages, around the 10th to 12th centuries.

The earliest known record of the name appears in the Annals of Ulster, an ancient manuscript that chronicles events in medieval Ireland. In this text, the name is spelled as "Carthy." Over time, various spellings emerged, such as Carty, Carthy, and Carty-Carthy.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name was Turlough Carty, a chieftain of the Carty clan in County Donegal, who lived in the 15th century. Another notable figure was Edmond Carty, a Catholic priest and writer who was born in County Donegal in 1598 and died in 1669.

In the 17th century, the Carty surname became associated with the town of Ballyshannon, County Donegal, which was once referred to as "Carty's Town." This connection suggests that the name may have originated from a place name rather than a personal name.

One of the most famous individuals with the Carty surname was Sir Josiah Carty, an Irish-born British naval officer who lived from 1759 to 1828. He played a significant role in several naval battles during the Napoleonic Wars.

Another notable figure was John Carty, an Irish author and journalist born in 1859 and died in 1917. He was known for his works on Irish history and culture, including "The History of the Irish Brigades in the Service of France."

In the 20th century, one of the most prominent individuals with the Carty surname was John Carty, an American football player who was born in 1908 and died in 1981. He played as a halfback for the Chicago Bears and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1963.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Carty

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

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

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

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