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

Carvajal, 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 Carvajal surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Carvajal in America

Carvajal is the 3999th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Carvajal surname appeared 8,883 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Carvajal.

We can also compare 2010 data for Carvajal 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 Carvajal

The surname Carvajal originates from Spain and dates back to the 11th century. It is derived from the Spanish word "carva," meaning "hollow" or "depression," and is likely associated with a geographical location or topographical feature. The earliest recorded instances of this surname can be found in Castilian and Leonese records from the medieval period.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname Carvajal was Diego de Carvajal, a 15th-century Spanish nobleman and military commander. He served as the governor of the Canary Islands and played a significant role in the conquest of Gran Canaria in the late 1400s.

Another prominent figure was Bernardino de Carvajal, a Spanish cardinal and diplomat who lived from 1456 to 1523. He played a crucial role in the negotiations between the Catholic Monarchs of Spain and the Holy Roman Emperor, and was a prominent figure during the early years of the Protestant Reformation.

In the 16th century, Alonso de Carvajal was a Spanish conquistador who accompanied Hernán Cortés in the conquest of Mexico. He later became one of the first settlers in the region and held various administrative positions in the newly established Spanish colonies.

The Carvajal surname also has a notable connection to the Crypto-Jewish community in Mexico. Luis de Carvajal y de la Cueva, born in 1567, was a prominent member of this community and was ultimately executed by the Spanish Inquisition for practicing Judaism in secret.

In the 17th century, Gaspar de Carvajal was a Spanish friar and explorer who traveled extensively in South America. He is known for his detailed accounts of the Amazon region and his attempts to establish missions among the indigenous populations.

These are just a few examples of the historical significance and prominence of the Carvajal surname, which has been carried by notable individuals in various fields throughout the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Carvajal

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

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

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

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