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

Karnes, 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 Karnes surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Karnes in America

Karnes is the 5494th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Karnes surname appeared 6,333 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Karnes.

We can also compare 2010 data for Karnes 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.

The history of the last name Karnes

The surname Karnes originated in Scotland, with roots dating back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to be a variant of the Scottish surname Cairns, which itself derives from the Gaelic word "carn," meaning "cairn" or "rocky hill."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Karnes surname can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which documented the names of Scottish landowners who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. This suggests that the Karnes family held some degree of prominence or land ownership during that time.

In the 16th century, the Karnes surname appeared in various records, such as parish registers and property deeds, indicating that the family had established a foothold in various regions of Scotland, particularly in the Highlands and the Lowlands.

A notable historical figure bearing the Karnes surname was John Karnes (1572-1648), a Scottish minister and author who wrote several religious works, including "The Pathway to Paradise" and "The Godly Man's Delight." His writings were influential during the Scottish Reformation.

Another prominent individual was Sir Robert Karnes (1628-1702), a Scottish landowner and politician who served as a member of the Parliament of Scotland. He was known for his involvement in the Glorious Revolution of 1688, which ushered in the reign of William III and Mary II.

In the 18th century, the Karnes surname gained further prominence with the birth of Henry Home, Lord Karnes (1696-1782), a Scottish philosopher, judge, and writer. He was a leading figure of the Scottish Enlightenment and authored several influential works, including "Essays on the Principles of Morality and Natural Religion" and "Sketches of the History of Man."

James Karnes (1784-1865), a Scottish-born American pioneer and soldier, played a significant role in the settlement of Texas. He founded the town of Gonzales and participated in the Texas Revolution, serving as a colonel in the Texas Army.

The Karnes surname has also been associated with various place names in Scotland, such as Cairnhill, a village in East Ayrshire, and Cairnie, a parish in Aberdeenshire. These place names likely share the same linguistic roots as the surname, reflecting the connection between the family and the land they inhabited.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Karnes

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

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 Karnes was:

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

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

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

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