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

O'Carroll, 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 O'Carroll surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of O'Carroll in America

O'Carroll is the 33343rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The O'Carroll surname appeared 685 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname O'Carroll.

We can also compare 2010 data for O'Carroll 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 O'Carroll

The surname OCARROLL is an anglicized version of the Irish Gaelic name Ó Cearbhaill, derived from the personal name Cearbhall, meaning "fierce in battle" or "ruddy complexion". The name originated in County Offaly, Ireland, and can be traced back to the 10th century.

The OCARROLL family descended from the Dál Birn branch of the Uí Failge, a powerful sept (clan) that ruled over the Kingdom of Offaly during the Middle Ages. The name first appears in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, in the year 1014, when a certain Domhnall Ó Cearbhaill is mentioned.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the OCARROLL surname appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, a great survey of England and parts of Wales commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name is listed as "Carlet" in the entry for Worcestershire.

In the 12th century, the OCARROLL clan played a significant role in the Norman invasion of Ireland, initially allying with the invaders but later turning against them. Prominent members of the family during this period include Muircheartach Ó Cearbhaill (died 1208), King of Offaly, and his son, Maelsechlainn Ó Cearbhaill (died 1223), who led the Irish resistance against the Normans.

Other notable OCARROLL figures throughout history include Fearghal Ó Cearbhaill (c. 1585-1653), an Irish soldier and landowner who fought against the English during the Irish Confederate Wars; Myles OCARROLL (1630-1665), an Irish Jacobite soldier and outlaw; and Anthony OCARROLL (1822-1911), an Irish-American businessman and philanthropist who co-founded the Catholic University of America.

In the 20th century, Joseph OCARROLL (1873-1956), an Irish Republican and trade unionist, was a prominent figure in the Irish Labour Movement, while Brendan OCARROLL (1935-2022) was a renowned Irish novelist and playwright, best known for his works exploring Dublin's working-class culture.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name O'Carroll

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname O'Carroll.

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 O'Carroll 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 O'Carroll 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 O'Carroll was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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