Explore the Family Name Kar

The meaning of Kar

1. Indian (West Bengal) and Bangladeshi: Kayastha name, probably from Sanskrit kara ‘doer, worker, assistant’. 2. Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 賈, perhaps based on its Cantonese pronunciation; see Jia 1. 3. Turkish: ornamental name, nickname, or topographic name from kar ‘snow’. 4. Jewish: perhaps a nickname from Hebrew kar ‘cold’. 5. Scottish: possibly a variant of Kerr. 6. Dutch (Van de Kar): metonymic occupational name for a cart-driver, from Middle Dutch carre, kerre ‘two-wheeled cart’. Some characteristic forenames: Indian Dilip, Tapas, Amit, Anil, Ashok, Bharati, Dev, Dulal, Gautam, Gopal, Jayashree, Kalpana. Jewish Ziva, Binyamin, Hillel, Pincus, Yoel.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Kar in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname 'Kar' has significantly increased over a decade from 2000 to 2010. The rank of the surname rose from 35,666 in 2000 to 25,403 in 2010, marking a change of 28.78 percent. Furthermore, the count of people carrying this surname also experienced an increase of 63.42 percent, going from 596 individuals in 2000 to 974 individuals in 2010. This resulted in an increase in the proportion per 100,000 people by 50.0 percent, from 0.22 in 2000 to 0.33 in 2010.

20002010Change
Rank#35,666#25,40328.78%
Count59697463.42%
Proportion per 100k0.220.3350%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Kar

The Decennial U.S. Census data also provides insight into the ethnic identity associated with the surname 'Kar'. From 2000 to 2010, there was a notable increase in the number of individuals identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander, showing a change of 21.26 percent. In contrast, the percentage of those identifying as White decreased by -23.05 percent. The percentage of individuals identifying as Black saw a slight decrease, while the representation of Hispanic ethnicity witnessed an uptick. However, there were no individuals who identified as American Indian and Alaskan Native or as having two or more races in 2010.

20002010Change
Asian/Pacific Islander54.19%65.71%21.26%
White33.89%26.08%-23.05%
Black5.87%5.54%-5.62%
Hispanic0%1.33%0%
Two or More Races5.03%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%