2000
#74,675
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 241
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.09
Very Rare Last name
Karre
A German surname likely derived from the word meaning 'wheelbarrow' or 'cart'.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 319 Americans carry the last name Karre. That puts it at #74,891 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.09 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,074,465 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Karre 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
319
1 in 1,074,465
Census rank
#74,891
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
278
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 278 bearers of the surname Karre in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.09 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 74891st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Karre, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.7%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (21.6%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Karre
The surname KARRE is believed to have originated in Germany, specifically in the region of Bavaria, during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old German word "karr," which means "cart" or "wagon." This suggests that the name may have been associated with individuals who worked as cart makers, drivers, or traders who transported goods by cart.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Codex Traditionum Monasterii Raittenbuch, a medieval manuscript dating back to the 12th century. This document mentions a person named Chunradus Karre, who lived in the village of Raittenbuoch (now known as Raitenhaslach) in Bavaria.
In the 14th century, the name KARRE appeared in the records of the city of Nuremberg, which was a major center of trade and commerce during that time. This suggests that individuals bearing this surname may have been involved in the transportation of goods or the production of carts and wagons for the city's merchants.
Notable individuals with the surname KARRE throughout history include:
1. Johannes Karre (c. 1450 - 1520), a German sculptor and woodcarver known for his intricate altarpieces and religious artwork in the Late Gothic style.
2. Heinrich Karre (1571 - 1645), a German theologian and professor of theology at the University of Tübingen, who wrote several influential works on Protestant theology.
3. Elise Karre (1814 - 1890), a German opera singer and contralto who performed in major opera houses across Europe during the 19th century.
4. Otto Karre (1835 - 1911), a German architect and urban planner who designed several notable buildings in Munich and other Bavarian cities.
5. Karl Karre (1877 - 1952), a German chemist and inventor who patented several processes for the production of synthetic dyes and plastics.
The name KARRE can also be found in various place names across Germany, such as Karrebach (a small town in Rhineland-Palatinate) and Karrhof (a village in Bavaria), further reinforcing its connection to the region and its historical significance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Karre
Among Census respondents with the surname Karre, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.7%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (21.6%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Karre 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 Karre surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White73.7% · 205
- Asian and Pacific Islander21.6% · 60
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.2% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Karre
Karre 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
#80,419
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 236
-5 bearers (-2.1%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Down 5,744 places
2020
#74,891
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 278
+42 bearers (+17.8%)
Per 100,000 0.09
Rank movement Up 5,528 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #74,675 | 241 | 0.09 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #80,419 | 236 | 0.08 | -5 bearers (-2.1%) | Down 5,744 places |
| 2020 | #74,891 | 278 | 0.09 | +42 bearers (+17.8%) | Up 5,528 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 Karre 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 | #80,419 | #74,891 | 6.9% |
| Count | 236 | 278 | 17.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.08 | 0.09 | 16.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Karre bearers went from 236 to 278 (+17.8% change). The surname moved up 5,528 positions in the national ranking, going from #80,419 to #74,891.
FAQ
Karre surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Karre?
Name Census estimates that about 319 living Americans carry the surname Karre. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,074,465 residents.
How common is Karre?
Karre ranks #74,891 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.09 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 278 people with the surname Karre. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (319), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.09 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.09 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 Karre.
Has Karre become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Karre went from 236 recorded bearers to 278. That is an increase of 42 (+17.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #80,419 to #74,891.
What does the Census say about the background of Karre?
Among Census respondents with the surname Karre, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.7%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (21.6%) and Hispanic (2.5%). 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 Karre in the 2020 Census, accounting for 73.7% (205 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Karre appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (73.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (21.6%), Hispanic (2.5%). 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 Karre (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 Karre mean?
A German surname likely derived from the word meaning 'wheelbarrow' or 'cart'. 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 Karre (0.09 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 Karre?
You can see how many people are called Karre on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.