2000
#127,186
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 124
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Karagianis
Of Greek origin, possibly derived from a place name meaning "black watermill".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Karagianis. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Karagianis 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Karagianis in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Karagianis, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.8%) and Two or More Races (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Karagianis
The surname Karagianis is of Greek origin, with roots tracing back to the Byzantine era. It is believed to have originated from the Greek word "karagianni," which means "black man" or "dark-skinned person." This suggests that the name was initially given as a nickname or descriptive term for individuals with darker complexions.
Karagianis is a common surname found in various regions of Greece, particularly in the Peloponnese peninsula and the islands of the Aegean Sea. The earliest recorded instances of this surname can be traced back to the 15th century, when it appeared in various historical documents and records from that era.
One notable historical reference to the surname Karagianis can be found in the archives of the Monastery of Vatopedi on Mount Athos, a renowned center of Orthodox monasticism. These records date back to the late 15th century and mention individuals bearing the Karagianis surname as residents or visitors to the monastery.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Karagianis surname was particularly prevalent in the Mani region of the Peloponnese peninsula. Several individuals with this surname were involved in the Greek War of Independence against the Ottoman Empire in the early 19th century, including Georgios Karagianis (1788-1837), a renowned military leader and revolutionary figure.
Another famous bearer of the Karagianis surname was Ioannis Karagianis (1827-1902), a Greek politician and diplomat who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs for Greece in the late 19th century.
In the 20th century, Konstantinos Karagianis (1906-1988) was a prominent Greek sculptor and artist, known for his monumental public works and contributions to the cultural life of Athens.
Historically, the surname Karagianis has been associated with various place names and older spellings, reflecting the regional variations and linguistic influences throughout Greece. For example, in some regions, the name was written as "Karagiannis" or "Karaghianni," reflecting local dialects and pronunciation variations.
While the Karagianis surname is predominantly Greek in origin, it has also been adopted by individuals of Greek descent living in other parts of the world, particularly in the Greek diaspora communities across Europe, North America, and Australia.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Karagianis
Among Census respondents with the surname Karagianis, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.8%) and Two or More Races (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Karagianis 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 Karagianis surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White98.3% · 119
- Hispanic or Latino0.8% · 1
- Two or more races0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Karagianis
Karagianis 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
#127,494
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 134
+10 bearers (+8.1%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 308 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
-13 bearers (-9.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 13,815 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #127,186 | 124 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #127,494 | 134 | 0.05 | +10 bearers (+8.1%) | Down 308 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | -13 bearers (-9.7%) | Down 13,815 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 Karagianis 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 | #127,494 | #141,309 | -10.8% |
| Count | 134 | 121 | -9.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -19.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Karagianis bearers went from 134 to 121 (-9.7% change). The surname moved down 13,815 positions in the national ranking, going from #127,494 to #141,309.
FAQ
Karagianis surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Karagianis?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Karagianis. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Karagianis?
Karagianis ranks #141,309 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 121 people with the surname Karagianis. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), 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 Karagianis.
Has Karagianis become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Karagianis went from 134 recorded bearers to 121. That is a decrease of 13 (-9.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #127,494 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Karagianis?
Among Census respondents with the surname Karagianis, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.8%) and Two or More Races (0.8%). 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 Karagianis in the 2020 Census, accounting for 98.3% (119 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Karagianis appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (98.3%), Hispanic (0.8%), Two or More Races (0.8%). 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 Karagianis (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 Karagianis mean?
Of Greek origin, possibly derived from a place name meaning "black watermill". 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 Karagianis (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 Americans have the surname Karagianis?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.