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

Charon, 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 Charon surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Charon in America

Charon is the 21403rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Charon surname appeared 1,222 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 Charon.

We can also compare 2010 data for Charon 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 Charon

The surname Charon originates from France, with its earliest known records dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old French word "charon," which referred to a ferryman or boatman who transported passengers across a river or body of water.

In medieval times, ferrymen played a crucial role in facilitating travel and trade across rivers and waterways. The name Charon likely emerged as an occupational surname, indicating that the original bearer of the name worked as a ferryman or was associated with this profession.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Charon can be found in the "Cartulaire de l'abbaye de Saint-Étienne de Vignory" (Cartulary of the Abbey of Saint-Étienne de Vignory), a manuscript dating back to the 12th century. This document mentions a person named "Richardus dictus Charon" (Richard called Charon), suggesting the name was already in use during that period.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various French records, such as the "Rôles des Tailles de Normandie" (Tax Rolls of Normandy), which listed individuals with the surname Charon residing in different regions of Normandy.

One notable figure bearing the name Charon was Jean Charon, a French painter and engraver born in Paris in the late 16th century (around 1570). He is known for his portraits and religious paintings, some of which can still be found in museums and churches across France.

Another prominent individual was Jacques Charon, a French architect who lived in the 17th century (1620-1690). He was responsible for designing several notable buildings in Paris, including the Church of Saint-Louis-en-l'Île and the Hôtel de Guénégaud.

In the 18th century, the name gained recognition through Pierre-Jacques Charon, a French playwright and actor born in Paris in 1727. He wrote several comedies and performed at the Comédie-Française, one of the most prestigious theaters in France.

The name Charon can also be traced back to various place names in France, such as Charon in the department of Eure-et-Loir, which may have influenced the emergence of the surname in certain regions.

It is worth noting that while the surname Charon has its roots in France, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly due to migration and immigration patterns over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Charon

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

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

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

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