2000
#5,024
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,411
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.38
Uncommon Last name
Carvajal
Derived from a place name in Spain, likely referring to a person from or associated with that location.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 11,306 Americans carry the last name Carvajal. That puts it at #3,531 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.30 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 30,316 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Carvajal 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
11K
1 in 30,316
Census rank
#3,531
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
9.9K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 9,859 bearers of the surname Carvajal in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.30 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3531st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Carvajal, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 91.2%. The next largest groups are White (6.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Carvajal
Among Census respondents with the surname Carvajal, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 91.2%. The next largest groups are White (6.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Carvajal 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 Carvajal surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino91.2% · 8,989
- White6.0% · 594
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 181
- Black or African American0.4% · 41
- Two or more races0.4% · 40
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 14
Timeline
Historical Census data for Carvajal
Carvajal 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
#3,999
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,883
+2,472 bearers (+38.6%)
Per 100,000 3.01
Rank movement Up 1,025 places
2020
#3,531
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,859
+976 bearers (+11.0%)
Per 100,000 3.30
Rank movement Up 468 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,024 | 6,411 | 2.38 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,999 | 8,883 | 3.01 | +2,472 bearers (+38.6%) | Up 1,025 places |
| 2020 | #3,531 | 9,859 | 3.30 | +976 bearers (+11.0%) | Up 468 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 Carvajal 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 | #3,999 | #3,531 | 11.7% |
| Count | 8,883 | 9,859 | 11.0% |
| Per 100K | 3.01 | 3.30 | 9.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Carvajal bearers went from 8,883 to 9,859 (+11.0% change). The surname moved up 468 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,999 to #3,531.
FAQ
Carvajal surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Carvajal?
Name Census estimates that about 11,306 living Americans carry the surname Carvajal. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 30,316 residents.
How common is Carvajal?
Carvajal ranks #3,531 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.30 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 9,859 people with the surname Carvajal. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (11,306), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.3 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.30 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Carvajal.
Has Carvajal become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Carvajal went from 8,883 recorded bearers to 9,859. That is an increase of 976 (+11.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #3,999 to #3,531.
What does the Census say about the background of Carvajal?
Among Census respondents with the surname Carvajal, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 91.2%. The next largest groups are White (6.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Carvajal in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.2% (8,989 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Carvajal appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (91.2%), White (6.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%). 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 Carvajal (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 Carvajal mean?
Derived from a place name in Spain, likely referring to a person from or associated with that location. 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 Carvajal (3.30 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 Carvajal?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.