2000
#143,847
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Charlo
A French surname that derives from the given name Charles.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 163 Americans carry the last name Charlo. That puts it at #126,357 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,102,787 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Charlo 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
163
1 in 2,102,787
Census rank
#126,357
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
142
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 142 bearers of the surname Charlo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 126357th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Charlo, the largest self-reported group is American Indian/Alaska Native at 48.6%. The next largest groups are White (21.8%) and Black (11.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Charlo
The surname Charlo originated in northern Italy during the late Middle Ages, likely derived from the Italian word "charlo", meaning "gossip" or "chatter". This suggests that the name may have initially been a nickname given to someone known for their talkative nature or perhaps as a mockery of someone who spoke excessively.
The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 13th century in the regions of Lombardy and Veneto, where it was spelled variations like "Charllo", "Carlho", and "Quarllo". It's believed that these early spellings were influenced by local dialects and the lack of standardized spelling conventions at the time.
One notable early bearer of the name was Pietro Charlo, a merchant and landowner from the city of Verona, who was mentioned in municipal records from the late 1300s. He was documented as owning several properties in the surrounding countryside, suggesting the family had achieved a certain level of wealth and status.
In the 16th century, the name appeared in historical records from the Republic of Venice, where a Francesco Charlo was a respected shipbuilder and naval architect. He was credited with designing several galleys for the Venetian navy, which played a crucial role in maintaining the city-state's maritime power and trade dominance.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Charlo name spread across northern Italy, with several individuals bearing the surname achieving prominence in various fields. Girolamo Charlo (1590-1648) was a renowned painter from Milan, known for his religious works and frescoes adorning churches throughout the region. Meanwhile, Giovanni Battista Charlo (1712-1785) was a respected mathematician and astronomer from Padua, who made significant contributions to the understanding of celestial mechanics and the calculation of planetary orbits.
As the surname spread beyond Italy, it also found its way to other parts of Europe and eventually to the Americas. One notable bearer of the name was Francois Charlo (1795-1868), a French-born pioneer and explorer who played a pivotal role in the early settlement of the American West. He was among the first Europeans to establish trade routes and forge alliances with Native American tribes in the Rocky Mountain region.
While the Charlo surname may not be as widespread as some others, its rich history and diverse bearers have left an indelible mark across various fields, from art and science to exploration and commerce, reflecting the enduring legacy of this name with its humble origins as a medieval Italian nickname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Charlo
Among Census respondents with the surname Charlo, the largest self-reported group is American Indian/Alaska Native at 48.6%. The next largest groups are White (21.8%) and Black (11.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Charlo 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 Charlo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- American Indian and Alaska Native48.6% · 69
- White21.8% · 31
- Black or African American11.3% · 16
- Hispanic or Latino9.9% · 14
- Two or more races7.7% · 11
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Charlo
Charlo 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
#128,249
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 133
+27 bearers (+25.5%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 15,598 places
2020
#126,357
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 142
+9 bearers (+6.8%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 1,892 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #143,847 | 106 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #128,249 | 133 | 0.05 | +27 bearers (+25.5%) | Up 15,598 places |
| 2020 | #126,357 | 142 | 0.05 | +9 bearers (+6.8%) | Up 1,892 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 Charlo 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 | #128,249 | #126,357 | 1.5% |
| Count | 133 | 142 | 6.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.05 | -5.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Charlo bearers went from 133 to 142 (+6.8% change). The surname moved up 1,892 positions in the national ranking, going from #128,249 to #126,357.
FAQ
Charlo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Charlo?
Name Census estimates that about 163 living Americans carry the surname Charlo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,102,787 residents.
How common is Charlo?
Charlo ranks #126,357 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.05 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 142 people with the surname Charlo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (163), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.05 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Charlo.
Has Charlo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Charlo went from 133 recorded bearers to 142. That is an increase of 9 (+6.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #128,249 to #126,357.
What does the Census say about the background of Charlo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Charlo, the largest self-reported group is American Indian/Alaska Native at 48.6%. The next largest groups are White (21.8%) and Black (11.3%). 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?
American Indian/Alaska Native is the largest self-reported group for the surname Charlo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 48.6% (69 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Charlo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are American Indian/Alaska Native (48.6%), White (21.8%), Black (11.3%). 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 Charlo (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 Charlo mean?
A French surname that derives from the given name Charles. 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 Charlo (0.05 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 have the last name Charlo?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Charlo is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.