Explore the Family Name Carnegie
The meaning of Carnegie
Scottish (Angus and Kincardineshire): habitational name from a place called Carnegie, near Carmyllie in Angus, probably named in Gaelic as cathair an eige ‘fort at the gap’. The Carnegie family were descended from John of Balinhard, who seems to have acquired the estate of Carnegie in the mid-14th century. The Carnegies were Earls of Southesk from 1633 to 1716. History: The industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie (1835–1919) was born in Dunfermline, Scotland; he came with his family to Allegheny, PA, in 1848.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Carnegie in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Carnegie saw minor fluctuation between 2000 and 2010. In terms of ranking, it moved slightly from 16,444 in 2000 to 16,525 in 2010, a downward shift of 0.49%. However, there was an increase in the actual count of people with this surname, rising from 1,611 individuals in 2000 to 1,738 in 2010, which translates to a growth rate of 7.88%. Similarly, the proportion of Carnegies per 100k people experienced a nominal decrease of 1.67% over the decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #16,444 | #16,525 | -0.49% |
| Count | 1,611 | 1,738 | 7.88% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.6 | 0.59 | -1.67% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Carnegie
The ethnic identity associated with the Carnegie surname also underwent shifts during this period, according to the Decennial U.S. Census data. The percentage of those identifying as White decreased by 10.9%, from 52.95% in 2000 to 47.18% in 2010. Black Carnegies increased by 7.6%, and Hispanic Carnegies saw a significant jump of 69.8%. Those identifying as being of two or more races also increased by 32.78%. A new category emerged in 2010, with 0.29% identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native and 0.75% as Asian/Pacific Islander.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 52.95% | 47.18% | -10.9% |
| Black | 41.34% | 44.48% | 7.6% |
| Two or More Races | 3.6% | 4.78% | 32.78% |
| Hispanic | 1.49% | 2.53% | 69.8% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0.75% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0.29% | 0% |