2010
#148,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Karantonis
A Greek surname derived from the Greek word "karanti", meaning the number forty.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Karantonis. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Karantonis 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
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Karantonis in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Karantonis, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.2%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Karantonis
The surname Karantonis is of Greek origin, originating from the Greek island of Crete. It is believed to have its roots in the ancient Greek word "karantos," which means "leader" or "commander." This suggests that the name may have been given to individuals who held positions of authority or leadership within their communities.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Karantonis can be traced back to the 16th century in various historical documents from Crete. During this period, the island was under Venetian rule, and many Cretan families adopted surnames to distinguish themselves from one another. The Karantonis name likely emerged during this time, reflecting the status and influence of those who bore it.
One of the earliest known references to the name Karantonis can be found in a historical text from the late 16th century, which mentions a prominent Cretan family of that name. This family was known for their involvement in local politics and their contributions to the island's cultural and economic development.
In the 18th century, the Karantonis name gained further recognition when a member of the family, Georgios Karantonis (1720-1795), became a successful merchant and philanthropist. Georgios was renowned for his generosity and his support of educational initiatives on the island of Crete, establishing several schools and libraries.
Another noteworthy individual with the surname Karantonis was Petros Karantonis (1836-1912), a Greek scholar and writer. Petros was born in Crete and later moved to Athens, where he became a prominent figure in the literary and academic circles of the time. He authored several books on Greek history, literature, and culture, and his works are still widely studied today.
In the 19th century, the Karantonis name also appeared in the records of the Greek diaspora, with members of the family settling in various parts of the world, including the United States and Australia. One such individual was Nikolaos Karantonis (1855-1930), who emigrated to the United States and became a successful businessman in the city of Boston.
Throughout its history, the Karantonis surname has been associated with a rich cultural heritage and a legacy of leadership, scholarship, and entrepreneurship. While the name may have evolved and spread across different regions, its Greek origins and connections to the island of Crete remain an integral part of its identity.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Karantonis
Among Census respondents with the surname Karantonis, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.2%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Karantonis 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 Karantonis surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.1% · 100
- Hispanic or Latino7.2% · 8
- Two or more races1.8% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Karantonis
Karantonis appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 318 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #148,347 | 111 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 318 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 Karantonis 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 | #148,347 | #148,665 | -0.2% |
| Count | 111 | 111 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Karantonis bearers went from 111 to 111 (+0.0% change). The surname moved down 318 positions in the national ranking, going from #148,347 to #148,665.
FAQ
Karantonis surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Karantonis?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Karantonis. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Karantonis?
Karantonis ranks #148,665 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 111 people with the surname Karantonis. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), 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 Karantonis.
Has Karantonis become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Karantonis went from 111 recorded bearers to 111. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #148,347 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Karantonis?
Among Census respondents with the surname Karantonis, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.2%) and Two or More Races (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 Karantonis in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.1% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Karantonis appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.1%), Hispanic (7.2%), Two or More Races (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 Karantonis (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 Karantonis mean?
A Greek surname derived from the Greek word "karanti", meaning the number forty. 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 Karantonis (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 Karantonis?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.