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

Karakashian, 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 Karakashian surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Karakashian in America

Karakashian is the 119508th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Karakashian surname appeared 145 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 Karakashian.

We can also compare 2010 data for Karakashian 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 Karakashian

The surname Karakashian has its origins in Armenia, a country located in the Caucasus region between Europe and Asia. The name is believed to have emerged in the medieval period, possibly as early as the 11th or 12th century.

One of the earliest known references to the Karakashian name can be found in Armenian manuscripts and records from the 13th century. These documents indicate that the name was initially concentrated in the regions of Vaspurakan and Syunik, located in what is now eastern Turkey and the Syunik Province of modern-day Armenia.

The name Karakashian is thought to be derived from the Armenian words "kara," meaning black, and "kash," which refers to a type of woven fabric or garment. This suggests that the name may have originally been associated with individuals involved in the production or trade of black textiles or clothing.

In the 14th century, the Karakashian name appeared in several Armenian chronicles and historical texts, such as the works of the historian Stepanos Orbelian. These mentions suggest that the Karakashian family had gained some prominence and influence during this period.

One notable figure from the Karakashian lineage was Hovhannes Karakashian, a prominent Armenian scholar and theologian who lived in the late 14th and early 15th centuries. He authored several influential works on Armenian church history and theology.

Another historical reference to the Karakashian name can be found in the records of the Armenian Apostolic Church, which document the activities of various Karakashian clergy members throughout the 16th and 17th centuries. These records indicate that the name had spread to other regions of Armenia and the surrounding areas.

In the 18th century, the Karakashian surname became associated with the city of Van, located in what is now eastern Turkey. Several prominent Karakashian families were based in Van during this period, and the name appeared in local records and documents.

One notable Karakashian from the 18th century was Khachatur Karakashian, a wealthy merchant and philanthropist who funded the construction of several churches and schools in the Van region. His contributions helped to preserve Armenian culture and education during a time of political turmoil.

As the Armenian diaspora grew in the 19th and 20th centuries, the Karakashian name spread to various communities around the world. Notable individuals with this surname include the American-Armenian writer and activist William Saroyan (1908-1981) and the Iranian-Armenian composer Aram Khachaturian (1903-1978).

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Karakashian

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!