How common is the surname Carson?

56,872 people in the United States had the surname Carson in the 2010 Census, about 1 in every 5,429 Americans. It ranked 593rd of 162,253 surnames.

Who is the most famous person named Carson?

Rachel Carson, American marine biologist and conservationist (1907–1964), followed by Johnny Carson.

Where is the surname Carson most common?

Wikidata records people named Carson in the United States and the United Kingdom.

How do you pronounce Carson?

Carson is /ˈkɑɹ.sən/, 2 syllables.

Is the surname Carson getting more or less common?

More common. 55,821 people carried it in the 2000 Census and 56,872 in 2010, up 1.9%.

Is Carson also a first name?

Yes. Carson is used as a first name as well as a surname; its first-name page has the meaning and how many babies were given it.

The surname Carson

A patronymic surname, carried by 56,872 people in the United States.

Pronounced /ˈkɑɹ.sən/ 2 syllables Soundex C625 Also a first name

Every surname held by 100 or more people in the 2010 US Census, most common on the left (162,253 in all). Carson is more common than 99.6% of them.

Origin

Could originate from the Gaelic name "Carr" or "Carra", meaning "rock" or "fort," combined with "son", thus "son of Carr.".

Carson is a patronymic surname: formed from a father’s (or ancestor’s) given name.

Origin from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).

How common it is

2010 US Census

There were 56,872 people named Carson in the United States in 2010, about 1 in every 5,429 Americans. That is up 1.9% since 2000, when the Census counted 55,821.

#593

rank among US surnames

56,872

people in 2010

per 100,000 Americans

+1.9%

change since 2000 (was #537)

Rank	Surname	People	1 in
#584	Valenzuela	57,383	5,380
#585	Bryan	57,143	5,403
#586	Meyers	57,127	5,405
#587	Weiss	57,112	5,406
#588	Underwood	57,064	5,411
#589	Bass	57,044	5,412
#590	Greer	57,043	5,413

Who is named Carson

Race and Hispanic origin as people reported it in the 2010 Census

72% of people named Carson identified as white (not Hispanic), 22% as Black (not Hispanic) and 2.4% as Hispanic or Latino (any race).

White (not Hispanic) 72%
Black (not Hispanic) 22%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 2.4%
Two or more races 2.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.8%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.6%

Compare: most common surnames among white Americans.

Famous Carsons

24 notable people on Wikidata, most written-about first

Rachel Carson
American marine biologist and conservationist (1907–1964)
Johnny Carson
American talk show host and comedian (1925–2005)
Sofia Carson
American singer, actress, dancer and songwriter, born 1993
Kit Carson
American frontiersman and Union Army general (1809-1868)
Lisa Nicole Carson
American actress, born 1969
André Carson
American politician (born 1974)
Alyssa Carson
American space enthusiast, born 2001
Terrence C. Carson
American actor, born 1958
Julia Carson
American politician (1938–2007)
Essence Carson
American basketball player (born 1986)
Kevin Carson
American academic, born 1963
Hunter Carson
American actor, born 1975

Notable Carsons come mostly from the United States (22) and the United Kingdom (2).

Spellings and sound-alikes

Useful when a record has your ancestor under another spelling

Variant spellings

Carsen
Karson

Surnames that sound like Carson

Carson has the Soundex code C625, the code US census indexes have used since the 1930s. Every surname with code C625.

Questions

Where does the surname Carson come from?: Could originate from the Gaelic name "Carr" or "Carra", meaning "rock" or "fort," combined with "son", thus "son of Carr.".
How common is the surname Carson?: 56,872 people in the United States had the surname Carson in the 2010 Census, about 1 in every 5,429 Americans. It ranked 593rd of 162,253 surnames.
What ethnicity is the surname Carson?: In the 2010 Census, 72% of people named Carson identified as white (not Hispanic), and 22% as Black (not Hispanic).
Who is the most famous person named Carson?: Rachel Carson, American marine biologist and conservationist (1907–1964), followed by Johnny Carson.
Where is the surname Carson most common?: Wikidata records people named Carson in the United States and the United Kingdom.
How do you pronounce Carson?: Carson is /ˈkɑɹ.sən/, 2 syllables.
What type of surname is Carson?: Carson is a patronymic surname, formed from a father’s (or ancestor’s) given name.
Is the surname Carson getting more or less common?: More common. 55,821 people carried it in the 2000 Census and 56,872 in 2010, up 1.9%.
What are other spellings of Carson?: Carsen and Karson.
Is Carson also a first name?: Yes. Carson is used as a first name as well as a surname; its first-name page has the meaning and how many babies were given it.