Karloff
English surname referring to someone from the village of Charloff (now Karlovo) in Bulgaria.
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 137 Americans carry the last name Karloff. That puts it at #152,628 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,501,856 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Karloff surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, 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
137
1 in 2,501,856
Census rank
#152,628
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Karloff in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152628th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Karloff, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.1%.
Origin
Meaning and origin of Karloff
The surname Karloff originates from the Slavic word "karla", meaning "little" or "small". It is primarily a Russian surname that can be traced back to the late 15th century in the regions around Moscow and St. Petersburg. The name likely evolved from a nickname or a diminutive form of the name Karl, which was a popular Christian name in medieval Russia.
In the 16th and 17th centuries, the Karloff surname appeared in various Russian census records and land ownership documents. It was particularly prevalent among the lower nobility and merchant classes in the cities of Novgorod and Pskov. One notable early bearer of the name was Ivan Karloff, a merchant from Pskov who was recorded in a trade register from 1587.
The earliest known instance of the Karloff surname outside of Russia dates back to the late 18th century, when a family bearing the name migrated to the Austro-Hungarian Empire. This branch of the Karloff family settled in the region of Galicia, now part of modern-day Ukraine and Poland. Historical records from this period indicate that the name was sometimes spelled as "Karlov" or "Karlow".
In the 19th century, several Karloff families emigrated from Eastern Europe to other parts of the world, including the United States and Canada. One of the most famous bearers of the name was the actor William Henry Pratt (1887-1969), who was born in London and later adopted the stage name Boris Karloff. He is best known for his iconic portrayal of Frankenstein's monster in the 1931 film adaptation of the novel.
Other notable individuals with the Karloff surname include:
1. Sergei Karloff (1892-1965), a Russian-born American artist and set designer who worked in Hollywood.
2. Nadezhda Karloff (1910-1992), a Russian-American ballet dancer and choreographer.
3. Yevgeny Karloff (1918-2005), a Soviet military officer and World War II veteran.
4. Ivan Karloff (1927-2012), a Russian-American aerospace engineer who worked for NASA.
5. Dmitri Karloff (1961-present), a Russian-born American writer and historian.
Overall, the Karloff surname has a rich history that spans several centuries and multiple countries, reflecting the diverse cultural influences that have shaped its evolution and geographical distribution.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Karloff
Among Census respondents with the surname Karloff, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.1%.
The bar chart below shows how Karloff bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 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.
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 Karloff surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White98.1%
Year on year
2010 vs 2010 Census
How has the Karloff surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
| Metric | 2010 | 2010 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #152,628 | #152,628 | 0.0% |
| Count | 107 | 107 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2010 Census, the number of Karloff bearers went from 107 to 107 (+0.0% change). The surname held its position in the national ranking, going from #152,628 to #152,628.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Karloff
FAQ
Karloff surname: questions and answers
How common is the last name Karloff?
The surname Karloff holds position #152,628 in the US Census Bureau's surname ranking, with an estimated 137 living bearers. It occurs at a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 Americans.
What is the ethnic background of the Karloff surname?
Among Census respondents with the surname Karloff, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.1%. These figures come from the 2010 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Where does this surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These tables list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2010 Census, along with a frequency rate and self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.