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

Caruana, 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 Caruana surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Caruana in America

Caruana is the 20601st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Caruana surname appeared 1,286 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 Caruana.

We can also compare 2010 data for Caruana 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 Caruana

The surname Caruana originated in Malta, tracing its roots back to the 15th century or earlier. It likely derived from the Maltese word "Caruana," which translates to "The Carob Tree." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to an individual who lived near or worked with carob trees.

The name Caruana is closely associated with the island of Malta, where it has been prevalent for centuries. Some early mentions of the surname can be found in historical records and documents, such as parish registers and notarial deeds from the 16th and 17th centuries.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Caruana was Girolamo Caruana, a prominent Maltese scholar and author who lived between 1543 and 1618. He wrote several works on Maltese history and culture, contributing significantly to the preservation of the island's heritage.

Another notable figure was Vincenzo Caruana, a renowned architect and military engineer born in 1631. He designed several fortifications and structures in Malta, including parts of the Valletta and Mdina city walls.

In the 19th century, Filippo Caruana (1808-1884) was a Maltese scholar and author who made significant contributions to the study of Maltese language and literature. He published numerous works, including a Maltese-Italian dictionary and a collection of Maltese proverbs.

The name Caruana also gained recognition beyond Malta's shores. Sir Antonio Caruana (1859-1940) was a Maltese-born British diplomat who served as the Governor of Sierra Leone from 1910 to 1916.

Lastly, Jaime Caruana (born 1952) is a prominent Maltese economist and former Governor of the Bank of Spain, who also served as the General Manager of the Bank for International Settlements from 2009 to 2017.

While the surname Caruana has its roots in Malta, it has since spread to various parts of the world, particularly through Maltese migration and diaspora communities. However, its origins can be traced back to the island's rich history and cultural heritage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Caruana

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

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

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

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