Karavas last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Karavas

A surname of Greek origin related to navigators or sailors.

Karavas, 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 Karavas surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Karavas in America

Karavas is the 103655th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Karavas surname appeared 173 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 Karavas.

We can also compare 2010 data for Karavas 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 103655 96480 7.17%
Count 173 175 -1.15%
Proportion per 100k 0.06 0.06 0.00%

The history of the last name Karavas

The surname KARAVAS has its origins in Greece, tracing back to the late 15th century. It is believed to be derived from the Greek word "karavos," which means "ship" or "vessel." This suggests that the name may have initially been associated with individuals involved in maritime activities or those residing in coastal regions of Greece.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname KARAVAS can be found in historical documents from the island of Crete, where it was commonly used among families in the coastal towns and villages. The name is also prevalent in other Greek islands and mainland regions with a strong maritime tradition.

Throughout the centuries, the KARAVAS surname has appeared in various historical records and manuscripts, including tax records, land deeds, and church registries. In the 16th century, a notable figure named Petros KARAVAS was mentioned in a chronicle detailing the Ottoman conquest of the Ionian Islands.

In the 18th century, a Greek merchant named Ioannis KARAVAS gained prominence for his successful trading ventures across the Mediterranean Sea. He established a thriving business network, with his name appearing in numerous commercial documents and correspondence of that era.

Another individual of note is Konstantinos KARAVAS, a Greek military officer who fought in the Greek War of Independence against the Ottoman Empire in the early 19th century. He played a significant role in several battles and is remembered for his bravery and leadership.

During the 19th century, the KARAVAS surname was also associated with several notable scholars and intellectuals. One such figure was Georgios KARAVAS, a renowned philosopher and educator who contributed significantly to the intellectual discourse of his time.

In more recent history, Anastasios KARAVAS, a Greek diplomat, served as the ambassador to several countries in the mid-20th century, representing Greece's interests on the international stage.

While the surname KARAVAS is predominantly found in Greece and among Greek diaspora communities worldwide, it has also gained recognition in other parts of the world, particularly in areas with strong maritime traditions or connections to Greek culture and history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Karavas

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

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 Karavas was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 95.38% 165
Non-Hispanic Black Only 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races (S)% (S)
Hispanic Origin (S)% (S)

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 Karavas has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 95.38% 94.86% 0.55%
Black 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
Asian and Pacific Islander (S)% (S)% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races (S)% (S)% (S)%
Hispanic (S)% (S)% (S)%

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

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

Reference this page

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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!

"Karavas last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on June 8, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/karavas-surname-popularity/.

"Karavas last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/karavas-surname-popularity/. Accessed 8 June, 2025

Karavas last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/karavas-surname-popularity/.

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