2000
#143,847
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Karabelas
A surname of Greek origin meaning "seed trader" or "grain merchant".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Karabelas. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Karabelas 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
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Karabelas in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Karabelas, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.8%) and Hispanic (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Karabelas
The surname Karabelas originates from Greece and can be traced back to the late 18th century. It is believed to be derived from the Greek words "karab" meaning ship and "belas" meaning arrow or dart. This suggests that the name may have originally been associated with individuals involved in naval or maritime activities, possibly sailors, shipbuilders, or those engaged in seafaring trades.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Karabelas surname can be found in the archives of the Greek island of Lesvos, where a merchant named Dimitrios Karabelas is mentioned in a document dated 1782. This document details a transaction involving the purchase of olive oil, indicating that the Karabelas family may have been involved in agricultural and trading activities.
In the early 19th century, the name appears in historical records related to the Greek War of Independence against the Ottoman Empire. A notable figure bearing the Karabelas surname during this period was Konstantinos Karabelas (1790-1848), a military officer and revolutionary leader who played a crucial role in the liberation of the island of Samos.
Another prominent individual with the Karabelas surname was Georgios Karabelas (1818-1896), a Greek politician and diplomat who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs for Greece in the late 19th century. He was instrumental in negotiating several important treaties and agreements during his tenure.
The Karabelas name can also be found in historical records from the island of Crete, where a family with this surname resided in the village of Archanes during the 19th century. One member of this family, Alexandros Karabelas (1832-1909), was a respected scholar and educator who contributed significantly to the preservation of Cretan culture and traditions.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, several individuals bearing the Karabelas surname made their mark in the fields of literature and arts. Nikos Karabelas (1875-1942) was a renowned Greek poet and playwright, known for his works that explored themes of love, nature, and the human condition. Meanwhile, Eleni Karabelas (1890-1968) was a celebrated painter whose works captured the vibrant landscapes and daily life of Greece.
While the Karabelas surname is not as common as some other Greek surnames, it has a rich history that spans several centuries and encompasses various regions of Greece. The name's origins and its association with maritime and trading activities, as well as its presence in key historical events and figures, contribute to its unique cultural significance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Karabelas
Among Census respondents with the surname Karabelas, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.8%) and Hispanic (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Karabelas 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 Karabelas surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.4% · 104
- Two or more races2.8% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Karabelas
Karabelas 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
#151,532
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
+2 bearers (+1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,685 places
2020
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
+1 bearers (+0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 1,327 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 | #151,532 | 108 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.9%) | Down 7,685 places |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+0.9%) | Up 1,327 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 Karabelas 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 | #151,532 | #150,205 | 0.9% |
| Count | 108 | 109 | 0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Karabelas bearers went from 108 to 109 (+0.9% change). The surname moved up 1,327 positions in the national ranking, going from #151,532 to #150,205.
FAQ
Karabelas surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Karabelas?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Karabelas. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Karabelas?
Karabelas ranks #150,205 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 109 people with the surname Karabelas. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), 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 Karabelas.
Has Karabelas become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Karabelas went from 108 recorded bearers to 109. That is an increase of 1 (+0.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #151,532 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Karabelas?
Among Census respondents with the surname Karabelas, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.8%) and Hispanic (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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Karabelas in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.4% (104 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Karabelas appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.4%), Two or More Races (2.8%), Hispanic (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 Karabelas (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 Karabelas mean?
A surname of Greek origin meaning "seed trader" or "grain merchant". 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 Karabelas (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 have the surname Karabelas?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.