2000
#136,783
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Doncarlos
A Spanish surname meaning "of the lord Charles" or "belonging to Lord Charles."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Doncarlos. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Doncarlos 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
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Doncarlos in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Doncarlos, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (18.6%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Doncarlos
The surname DONCARLOS is of Spanish origin, with roots dating back to the 15th century. It is believed to have originated in the region of Andalusia, southern Spain, where the name was likely derived from a combination of the Spanish words "don" (meaning lord or sir) and "Carlos" (the Spanish form of the name Charles).
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in a document from the Archivo General de Indias in Seville, dated 1492. This document mentions a certain Juan Doncarlos, who was a merchant involved in trade with the newly discovered Americas. It is possible that this Juan Doncarlos played a role in the distribution of the surname throughout the Spanish colonies in the New World.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name DONCARLOS appears in various records and manuscripts from the Spanish colonial era, particularly in documents related to the administration and governance of the Spanish territories in the Americas. Notable individuals bearing this surname during this period include Pedro Doncarlos (1567-1632), a prominent landowner and cattle rancher in what is now Mexico, and Juana Doncarlos (1592-1668), a renowned philanthropist and patron of the arts in Lima, Peru.
The DONCARLOS name has also been associated with several notable figures in more recent history. For example, Miguel Doncarlos (1810-1888) was a renowned Spanish writer and poet, known for his romantic works and contributions to the literary movement of his time. Another notable figure was Manuel Doncarlos (1871-1942), a Spanish military officer who played a significant role in the Spanish-American War and later served as the Governor-General of Puerto Rico from 1909 to 1913.
In the 20th century, the DONCARLOS name gained further prominence with individuals such as Javier Doncarlos (1920-2002), a celebrated Spanish artist and sculptor whose works are displayed in galleries and public spaces around the world. Additionally, María Doncarlos (1935-2018) was a prominent Spanish journalist and political activist who fought for women's rights and social justice during the latter half of the 20th century.
While the DONCARLOS surname has its roots in Spain, it has since spread to various parts of the world, particularly in regions with historical ties to the Spanish Empire and its colonies. Today, individuals bearing this surname can be found in countries such as Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, and even in parts of the United States, where Spanish influence and immigration have left their mark.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Doncarlos
Among Census respondents with the surname Doncarlos, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (18.6%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Doncarlos 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 Doncarlos surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White74.3% · 84
- Hispanic or Latino18.6% · 21
- Two or more races4.4% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.7% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Doncarlos
Doncarlos 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
#156,044
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
-9 bearers (-8.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 19,261 places
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
+9 bearers (+8.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 8,823 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #136,783 | 113 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #156,044 | 104 | 0.04 | -9 bearers (-8.0%) | Down 19,261 places |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | +9 bearers (+8.7%) | Up 8,823 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 Doncarlos 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 | #156,044 | #147,221 | 5.7% |
| Count | 104 | 113 | 8.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Doncarlos bearers went from 104 to 113 (+8.7% change). The surname moved up 8,823 positions in the national ranking, going from #156,044 to #147,221.
FAQ
Doncarlos surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Doncarlos?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Doncarlos. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Doncarlos?
Doncarlos ranks #147,221 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 113 people with the surname Doncarlos. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Doncarlos.
Has Doncarlos become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Doncarlos went from 104 recorded bearers to 113. That is an increase of 9 (+8.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #156,044 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Doncarlos?
Among Census respondents with the surname Doncarlos, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (18.6%) and Two or More Races (4.4%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Doncarlos in the 2020 Census, accounting for 74.3% (84 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Doncarlos appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (74.3%), Hispanic (18.6%), Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Doncarlos (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 Doncarlos mean?
A Spanish surname meaning "of the lord Charles" or "belonging to Lord 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 Doncarlos (0.04 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 are called Doncarlos?
Want to know how many people are called Doncarlos? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.