2010
#157,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Karb
A surname of German origin, possibly derived from the word "Carbo" meaning charcoal or coal.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 118 Americans carry the last name Karb. That puts it at #154,182 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,904,698 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Karb 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
118
1 in 2,904,698
Census rank
#154,182
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
103
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 103 bearers of the surname Karb in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154182nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Karb, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Black (1.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Karb
The surname KARB is of German origin and can be traced back to the early 16th century. It is believed to have originated from the region of Bavaria, where it was likely derived from the Old German word "karb," meaning "a basket" or "a woven container."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name KARB can be found in the town records of Nuremberg, dating back to 1527. In these records, a certain Hans KARB is mentioned as a basket weaver residing in the city's weavers' quarter.
Throughout the 16th and 17th centuries, the name KARB appeared sporadically in various municipal records and church registers across southern Germany, often associated with trades related to weaving, basket-making, or other crafts involving woven materials.
In the 18th century, the name KARB gained some prominence with the birth of Johann Friedrich KARB (1717-1791), a renowned clockmaker and inventor from the town of Schwäbisch Gmünd in Württemberg. His innovative designs and contributions to the field of horology earned him recognition throughout Europe.
Another notable figure bearing the surname KARB was Anna Maria KARB (1765-1843), a renowned botanist and naturalist from the city of Augsburg. Her extensive collection of plant specimens and detailed illustrations were highly regarded by her contemporaries.
During the 19th century, the KARB family continued to be present in various parts of Germany, with some members migrating to other parts of Europe and even to the Americas. One such individual was Karl KARB (1825-1892), a German-born artist who settled in New York City and became known for his landscape paintings depicting scenes from the American frontier.
In the early 20th century, the name KARB gained recognition in the field of literature with the works of Wilhelm KARB (1875-1948), a celebrated German novelist and playwright whose works often explored themes of social justice and the struggles of the working class.
Throughout its history, the surname KARB has been associated with various professions and fields, from basket weavers and craftsmen to artists, writers, and inventors, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of those who bore this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Karb
Among Census respondents with the surname Karb, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Black (1.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Karb 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 Karb surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.2% · 97
- Black or African American1.9% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.9% · 2
- Two or more races1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Karb
Karb 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
#154,182
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 3,052 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #157,234 | 103 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #154,182 | 103 | 0.03 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Up 3,052 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 Karb 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 | #157,234 | #154,182 | 1.9% |
| Count | 103 | 103 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 14.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Karb bearers went from 103 to 103 (+0.0% change). The surname moved up 3,052 positions in the national ranking, going from #157,234 to #154,182.
FAQ
Karb surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Karb?
Name Census estimates that about 118 living Americans carry the surname Karb. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,904,698 residents.
How common is Karb?
Karb ranks #154,182 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 103 people with the surname Karb. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (118), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Karb.
Has Karb become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Karb went from 103 recorded bearers to 103. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #157,234 to #154,182.
What does the Census say about the background of Karb?
Among Census respondents with the surname Karb, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Black (1.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.9%). 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 Karb in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.2% (97 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Karb appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.2%), Black (1.9%), American Indian/Alaska Native (1.9%). 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 Karb (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 Karb mean?
A surname of German origin, possibly derived from the word "Carbo" meaning charcoal or coal. 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 Karb (0.03 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 Karb?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.