Explore the Family Name Char
The meaning of Char
1. French: from Old French char ‘cart, carriage’ (from Late Latin carrum, a word of Gaulish origin), a metonymic occupational name for a carter. 2. Americanized form of Slovenian Čar (see Car). 3. Arabic: French-influenced form of Shaar. Bearers of this surname are both Muslims and Christians. 4. Indian (Karnataka): Brahmin name, from Sanskrit āčārya ‘teacher, spiritual guide’. 5. Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 謝, see Xie 1. 6. Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 查, see Zha. Some characteristic forenames: Indian Bharat, Gautam, Kalpana, Mohan, Padma, Rohini, Srikant, Usha, Vijay.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Char in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname "Char" has seen modest growth from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, it was ranked as the 28,353rd most popular surname in the United States, with a total count of 793 individuals carrying the name. By 2010, its rank had risen slightly to 27,845, and the number of people bearing this surname increased to 862, marking an 8.7% increase. However, the proportion of people with the surname Char per 100,000 remained constant at 0.29 during these years.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #28,353 | #27,845 | 1.79% |
| Count | 793 | 862 | 8.7% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.29 | 0.29 | 0% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Char
The ethnicity associated with the surname "Char" has also seen some changes between 2000 and 2010 according to the Decennial U.S. Census. In 2000, 64.44% of individuals with this surname identified as Asian/Pacific Islander, but this figure dropped to 57.89% by 2010. The percentage of those identifying their ethnicity as White saw a slight increase from 18.03% to 18.21%. Those claiming two or more races experienced notable growth, climbing from 11.48% to 14.27%. Additionally, there was a substantial increase in individuals identifying as Hispanic, rising from 3.78% to 6.26%. Notably, the Black community started to appear under this surname in 2010 with 3.36%, whereas it was not recorded in 2000. There was no change in the American Indian and Alaskan Native category, with no individuals identifying as such in both years.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 64.44% | 57.89% | -10.16% |
| White | 18.03% | 18.21% | 1% |
| Two or More Races | 11.48% | 14.27% | 24.3% |
| Hispanic | 3.78% | 6.26% | 65.61% |
| Black | 0% | 3.36% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |