2000
#124,872
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 127
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Kardaras
A Greek surname derived from the ancient Greek word "kardara" meaning "ravine" or "mountain pass".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 112 Americans carry the last name Kardaras. That puts it at #156,269 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,060,307 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kardaras 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
112
1 in 3,060,307
Census rank
#156,269
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
98
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 98 bearers of the surname Kardaras in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156269th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kardaras, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kardaras
The surname Kardaras is of Greek origin, originating from the region of Epirus in northwestern Greece. It is believed to have derived from the Greek word "kardara," which means "mountain pass" or "ravine." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with individuals who lived near or worked in mountain passes or ravines in the rugged terrain of Epirus.
The earliest recorded instances of the Kardaras surname can be traced back to the late 15th century in various historical documents from the region. One of the earliest known references is found in a tax record from the Ottoman Empire, which ruled over parts of Greece at the time, mentioning a certain "Kardaras Georgios" as a landholder in the village of Argyrokastro, now known as Gjirokastër in southern Albania.
In the 16th and 17th centuries, the Kardaras name appeared in several religious manuscripts and church records from the Greek Orthodox Church in the area. One noteworthy example is a 17th-century manuscript from the Monastery of Zographou on Mount Athos, which mentions a monk named "Kardaras Ioannis" as a scribe and illuminator.
Throughout the centuries, the Kardaras surname has been associated with various notable individuals from the region. One such figure was Nikolaos Kardaras (1772-1844), a Greek merchant and philanthropist from Ioannina, who funded the construction of several schools and churches in the area. Another prominent bearer of the name was Konstantinos Kardaras (1856-1932), a Greek lawyer and politician who served as the Minister of Justice in the early 20th century.
In more recent history, Evangelos Kardaras (1925-2018) was a renowned Greek painter and sculptor, known for his depictions of rural life and landscapes in Epirus. Additionally, Vasilis Kardaras (1935-2015) was a celebrated Greek actor who appeared in numerous theater productions and films throughout his career.
While the Kardaras surname has its roots in the Epirus region of Greece, it has since spread to other parts of the country and the Greek diaspora around the world. However, its origins can be traced back to the rugged mountain passes and ravines of northwestern Greece, where the name first emerged centuries ago.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kardaras
Among Census respondents with the surname Kardaras, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Kardaras 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 Kardaras surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.9% · 91
- Hispanic or Latino7.1% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kardaras
Kardaras 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
#146,201
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
-14 bearers (-11.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 21,329 places
2020
#156,269
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 98
-15 bearers (-13.3%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 10,068 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #124,872 | 127 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #146,201 | 113 | 0.04 | -14 bearers (-11.0%) | Down 21,329 places |
| 2020 | #156,269 | 98 | 0.03 | -15 bearers (-13.3%) | Down 10,068 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 Kardaras 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 | #146,201 | #156,269 | -6.9% |
| Count | 113 | 98 | -13.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -18.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kardaras bearers went from 113 to 98 (-13.3% change). The surname moved down 10,068 positions in the national ranking, going from #146,201 to #156,269.
FAQ
Kardaras surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kardaras?
Name Census estimates that about 112 living Americans carry the surname Kardaras. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,060,307 residents.
How common is Kardaras?
Kardaras ranks #156,269 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 98 people with the surname Kardaras. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (112), 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 Kardaras.
Has Kardaras become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kardaras went from 113 recorded bearers to 98. That is a decrease of 15 (-13.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #146,201 to #156,269.
What does the Census say about the background of Kardaras?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kardaras, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.1%). 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 Kardaras in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.9% (91 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kardaras appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.9%), Hispanic (7.1%). 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 Kardaras (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 Kardaras mean?
A Greek surname derived from the ancient Greek word "kardara" meaning "ravine" or "mountain pass". 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 Kardaras (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 common is the surname Kardaras?
Find out how many people have the last name Kardaras on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.