Explore the Family Name Carlos
The meaning of Carlos
Spanish and Portuguese: from the personal name Carlos, an equivalent of Charles. Some characteristic forenames: Spanish Jose, Juan, Manuel, Francisco, Raul, Alicia, Jesus, Luis, Armando, Jaime, Carlos, Ruben. Portuguese Fernandes, Joao, Joaquim.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Carlos in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Carlos has shown a significant increase in popularity from the year 2000 to 2010. In 2000, the surname was ranked 2718 in terms of frequency, but by 2010 it had risen to rank 2357, showing an improvement of 13.28 percent. The total count of individuals carrying the name also grew from 12,162 to 15,462, an impressive growth rate of 27.13 percent. When calculated per 100,000 people, the proportion of individuals with the Carlos surname increased by 16.19 percent during the same period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,718 | #2,357 | 13.28% |
| Count | 12,162 | 15,462 | 27.13% |
| Proportion per 100k | 4.51 | 5.24 | 16.19% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Carlos
The ethnicity associated with the surname Carlos also experienced changes between 2000 and 2010, according to the Decennial U.S. Census data. The number of individuals identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and Hispanic saw increases of 13.96 percent and 4.26 percent respectively. The percentage of those who identify as White or Black declined, with Whites decreasing by 18.17% and Blacks by 18.68%. There was also a small increase in American Indians and Alaskan Natives at 3.85 percent. Interestingly, those reporting as having two or more ethnic identities decreased by 24.87 percent.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hispanic | 65.79% | 68.59% | 4.26% |
| White | 16.35% | 13.38% | -18.17% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 10.39% | 11.84% | 13.96% |
| Black | 4.55% | 3.7% | -18.68% |
| Two or More Races | 1.89% | 1.42% | -24.87% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 1.04% | 1.08% | 3.85% |
Carlos ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Carlos is Spanish & Portuguese, which comprises 28.8% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are Indigenous American (18.1%) and Filipino & Austronesian (16.7%). Additional ancestries include British & Irish, French & German, Chinese, Italian, and Nigerian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| Spanish & Portuguese | 28.8% |
| Indigenous American | 18.1% |
| Filipino & Austronesian | 16.7% |
| Other | 36.4% |
Possible origins of the surname Carlos
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Carlos have recent ancestry locations all within Mexico.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Nuevo Leon, Mexico | 42.40% |
| Jalisco, Mexico | 42.40% |
| Veracruz, Mexico | 42.40% |
| Zacatecas, Mexico | 42.40% |
| Coahuila, Mexico | 42.40% |
What Carlos haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Carlos is R-U152, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-U152 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-P311 and Q-M3, which are predominantly found among people with European and East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Marroquin, Neri, Hoskins, Randolph, Godoy, Villalobos, Lombardi, Cabral, Ackerman, Bradshaw.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Carlos surname are: A2, H1, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to some of the first Americans
Though the Ice Age was beginning to retreat when your A2 ancestors first entered North America, there were still massive barriers blocking their way. Glaciers and inhospitable climate covered much of the continent, blocking entry into the interior. Nonetheless, researchers have found evidence that a wave of American founders migrated over 13,000 kilometers to reach southern Chile in only 2,000 years, a blink of an eye in the story of human migration! Their highway to the south was the coast of the Pacific, stocked with fish, diverse marine mammals, and other valuable resources in the rich kelp forests of the upper latitudes and in the abundant fresh-water rivers near the equator. Because of this rapid movement south, the A2 haplogroup and its diverse branches are found throughout North and South America.
What do people with the surname Carlos have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Carlos" Surname 39.1%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Carlos" Surname 33.3%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Vitamin Use
Takes vitamins on a regular basis.
"Carlos" Surname 42.9%
23andMe Users 45.5%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Carlos" Surname 16.9%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Carlos?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Carlos are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition