2000
#13,488
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,068
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.77
Rare Last name
Karn
Derived from the Old Norse byname Kárr, meaning "curly-haired" or "obstinate, unyielding."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,290 Americans carry the last name Karn. That puts it at #14,405 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.67 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 149,674 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Karn 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Karn with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.3K
1 in 149,674
Census rank
#14,405
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,997 bearers of the surname Karn in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.67 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14405th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Karn, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (5.8%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Karn
The surname KARN is of German origin, derived from the word "Karnin," which means "dwelling at the small summit." The name first emerged in the 14th century in the region of Saxony, which was part of the Holy Roman Empire.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name KARN can be found in the Hersfeld Codex, a medieval manuscript dating back to 1370. This document mentions a certain "Henricus Karn," who was a landowner in the village of Karnitz.
During the 15th century, the KARN family began to spread throughout various parts of Germany, with branches establishing themselves in regions such as Bavaria and Silesia. Historical records from this period include mentions of Johannes Karn (1412-1487), a respected scholar and theologian from Nuremberg.
As the Renaissance era dawned, the KARN surname gained further prominence. Notable figures included Matthäus Karn (1522-1592), a renowned artist and woodcarver from Augsburg, whose works adorned several churches and cathedrals across southern Germany.
In the 17th century, the KARN family produced several influential figures. One such individual was Christoph Karn (1635-1703), a celebrated composer and organist who served at the court of the Elector of Saxony in Dresden.
The 18th century saw the emergence of Johann Karn (1718-1779), a highly regarded jurist and legal scholar from Frankfurt. His treatises on civil law and judicial proceedings were widely studied and cited throughout the German states.
As the Industrial Revolution took hold in the 19th century, the KARN surname became associated with various industries and trades. One prominent figure was Karl Karn (1841-1912), a successful industrialist and engineer from Cologne, whose innovations in steam engine design revolutionized factory production.
Throughout its long history, the KARN surname has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions, leaving an indelible mark on the cultural and intellectual fabric of Germany and beyond.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Karn
Among Census respondents with the surname Karn, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (5.8%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Karn 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 Karn surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.3% · 1,763
- Asian and Pacific Islander5.8% · 116
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 56
- Two or more races1.7% · 34
- Black or African American1.2% · 24
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Karn
Karn 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
#12,837
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,398
+330 bearers (+16.0%)
Per 100,000 0.81
Rank movement Up 651 places
2020
#14,405
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,997
-401 bearers (-16.7%)
Per 100,000 0.67
Rank movement Down 1,568 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,488 | 2,068 | 0.77 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,837 | 2,398 | 0.81 | +330 bearers (+16.0%) | Up 651 places |
| 2020 | #14,405 | 1,997 | 0.67 | -401 bearers (-16.7%) | Down 1,568 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 Karn 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 | #12,837 | #14,405 | -12.2% |
| Count | 2,398 | 1,997 | -16.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.81 | 0.67 | -17.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Karn bearers went from 2,398 to 1,997 (-16.7% change). The surname moved down 1,568 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,837 to #14,405.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Karn
FAQ
Karn surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Karn?
Name Census estimates that about 2,290 living Americans carry the surname Karn. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 149,674 residents.
How common is Karn?
Karn ranks #14,405 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.67 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,997 people with the surname Karn. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,290), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.67 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.67 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Karn.
Has Karn become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Karn went from 2,398 recorded bearers to 1,997. That is a decrease of 401 (-16.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,837 to #14,405.
What does the Census say about the background of Karn?
Among Census respondents with the surname Karn, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (5.8%) and Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Karn in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.3% (1,763 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Karn appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.3%), Asian/Pacific Islander (5.8%), Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Karn (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 Karn mean?
Derived from the Old Norse byname Kárr, meaning "curly-haired" or "obstinate, unyielding." 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 Karn (0.67 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 Karn?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.