Explore the Family Name Caruso
The meaning of Caruso
Italian: nickname from caruso ‘close-cropped’ (from Latin cariosus ‘decayed’, also ‘smooth, bald’). This word was also used in the more general sense ‘boy, lad’, since in the Middle Ages young men of fashion sometimes wore their hair much shorter than was the prevailing style. In the Girgenti area of Sicily the term was a metonymic occupational name for a worker in the sulfur pits, since such workers were required to wear their hair short. Some characteristic forenames: Italian Angelo, Salvatore, Enrico, Antonio, Carmine, Rocco, Sal, Vito, Giuseppe, Domenic, Saverio, Carmelo.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Caruso in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname 'Caruso' saw a slight decline between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Caruso was ranked as the 1621st most popular name in the U.S with a representation of 7.51 per 100,000 people. However, by 2010, it had dropped to the 1758th position and the proportion decreased to 6.9 per 100,000 individuals. Despite this, the count of individuals bearing the name increased slightly by 0.54%, from 20,257 in 2000 to 20,367 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,621 | #1,758 | -8.45% |
| Count | 20,257 | 20,367 | 0.54% |
| Proportion per 100k | 7.51 | 6.9 | -8.12% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Caruso
The ethnic identity associated with the surname 'Caruso' also shifted over this decade, according to the Decennial U.S. Census data. In 2000, the majority of individuals with this surname identified as White (95.77%), followed by Hispanic (2.39%), then those identifying with two or more races (1.20%). Minorities included Asian/Pacific Islander (0.33%), Black (0.16%) and American Indian and Alaskan Native (0.14%). A decade later, while the White demographic remained predominant at 94.73%, there was a noticeable increase in the Hispanic and Black categories, rising to 3.33% and 0.30% respectively. The proportion of Asian/Pacific Islanders also grew considerably to 0.49%. This suggests an increasing diversity among those carrying the 'Caruso' surname.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 95.77% | 94.73% | -1.09% |
| Hispanic | 2.39% | 3.33% | 39.33% |
| Two or More Races | 1.2% | 1% | -16.67% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.33% | 0.49% | 48.48% |
| Black | 0.16% | 0.3% | 87.5% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.14% | 0.14% | 0% |
Caruso 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 Caruso is Italian, which comprises 37.6% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (27.2%) and French & German (13.2%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Spanish & Portuguese, Ashkenazi Jewish, Scandinavian, and Greek & Balkan.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| Italian | 37.6% |
| British & Irish | 27.2% |
| French & German | 13.2% |
| Other | 22.1% |
Possible origins of the surname Caruso
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 Caruso have recent ancestry locations spanning a few countries, mostly in Italy, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Sicily, Italy | 64.30% |
| Campania, Italy | 63.70% |
| Calabria, Italy | 62.50% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 57.20% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 57.20% |
What Caruso 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 Caruso is J-L70, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup J-L70 is descended from haplogroup J-M304. Other common haplogroups include R-U152 and E-V13, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Esposito, Leone, Rizzo, Rossi, Palumbo, Conti, Russo, Gentile, Marino, D'Angelo.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Caruso surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins J-M304Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Caruso 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.
"Caruso" Surname 41.5%
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.
"Caruso" Surname 30.5%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Caruso" Surname 15.2%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Caruso" Surname 14.2%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Caruso?
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 Caruso are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition