NameCensus.

UK surname

Carlos

A Spanish and Portuguese surname derived from the Germanic name Karl, meaning "free man."

In the 1881 census there were 38 people recorded with the Carlos surname, ranking it #28,285 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 320, ranked #14,096, up from #28,285 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Lakeland, South Somerset and Pendle.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Carlos is 320 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 742.1%.

1881 census count

38

Ranked #28,285

Modern count

320

2016, ranked #14,096

Peak year

2016

320 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Carlos had 38 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #28,285 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 320 in 2016, ranked #14,096.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 71 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Young Families.

Carlos surname distribution map

The map shows where the Carlos surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Carlos surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Carlos over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 15 #30,614
1861 historical 37 #29,339
1881 historical 38 #28,285
1891 historical 44 #30,838
1901 historical 69 #26,499
1911 historical 71 #25,742
1997 modern 119 #24,302
1998 modern 126 #24,094
1999 modern 135 #23,279
2000 modern 143 #22,457
2001 modern 141 #22,344
2002 modern 161 #20,925
2003 modern 168 #20,171
2004 modern 193 #18,622
2005 modern 211 #17,520
2006 modern 222 #17,092
2007 modern 235 #16,668
2008 modern 249 #16,111
2009 modern 267 #15,661
2010 modern 272 #15,811
2011 modern 247 #16,783
2012 modern 267 #15,791
2013 modern 300 #14,744
2014 modern 312 #14,430
2015 modern 311 #14,369
2016 modern 320 #14,096

Geography

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Where Carlos' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Lakeland, South Somerset, Pendle, Wiltshire and Hillingdon. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Lakeland 003 South Lakeland
2 South Somerset 023 South Somerset
3 Pendle 001 Pendle
4 Wiltshire 037 Wiltshire
5 Hillingdon 014 Hillingdon

Forenames

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First names often paired with Carlos

These lists show first names that appear often with the Carlos surname in historical and recent records.

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Carlos

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Carlos, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Ethnically Diverse Young Families

Nationally, the Carlos surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ethnically Diverse Young Families, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Carlos household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group includes many younger parents born overseas (particularly in Africa or EU countries) with children aged 0-4. Individuals identifying as of Mixed or Multiple ethnicities are also common. English may not be the primary language spoken. Accommodation consists principally of flats, and many properties are socially rented and/or overcrowded. Students are also present, unemployment is common, and other adults tend to work in low skilled jobs.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Carlos is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Carlos is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Carlos falls in decile 3 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Carlos is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Other

This describes the area pattern most associated with Carlos, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Carlos

The surname Carlos originated in Spain during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Spanish personal name Carlos, which was a medieval form of the Germanic name Carolus or Charlemagne. The name Carolus itself comes from the Old Frankish word 'karl', meaning 'man' or 'husband'.

The name Carlos was first used as a surname in the Iberian Peninsula, particularly in the regions of Castile, Aragon, and Catalonia. It is believed to have originated as a patronymic surname, indicating that the bearer was a descendant or child of someone named Carlos.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Carlos can be found in the Catalan region of Spain. In the 13th century, a document from the Monastery of Poblet mentions a nobleman named Ramón Carlos. Another early reference comes from the Book of Musters, a census-like registry of Spanish soldiers and nobles from the 14th century, which includes several individuals bearing the surname Carlos.

Historically, the surname Carlos was associated with the nobility and gentry in Spain. Several notable figures from the Middle Ages and Renaissance period bore this surname, including Pedro Carlos, a 15th-century Spanish admiral who led several naval campaigns against the Ottomans and Barbary pirates. Another prominent individual was Alonso Carlos, a 16th-century Spanish theologian and writer who authored several treatises on religious philosophy.

During the Age of Exploration, the surname Carlos accompanied Spanish conquistadors and colonists to the Americas. One notable figure was Juan Carlos, a 16th-century soldier and explorer who accompanied Hernán Cortés in the conquest of Mexico. Another was Diego Carlos, a 17th-century Spanish governor of the Philippines who oversaw the expansion of Spanish influence in the region.

As the Spanish Empire expanded, the surname Carlos spread to other parts of the world, including the Philippines, Latin America, and even parts of Europe and the Mediterranean. In Italy, for example, the surname Carlos emerged in regions with strong Spanish influence, such as Sicily and Naples.

Other notable individuals with the surname Carlos throughout history include José Carlos, a 19th-century Spanish painter known for his Romantic landscapes and portraits, and Juan Carlos, a 20th-century Spanish composer and conductor who helped revive interest in the music of the Spanish Renaissance.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Carlos families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Carlos surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 11 Carlos' recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.89x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 11 2.89x
Yorkshire 10 2.65x
Surrey 5 2.70x
Lancashire 4 0.89x
Wiltshire 2 5.95x
Cambridgeshire 1 4.15x
Essex 1 1.33x
Gloucestershire 1 1.34x
Kent 1 0.77x
Midlothian 1 1.96x
Royal Navy 1 22.08x
Staffordshire 1 0.78x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Islington London in Middlesex leads with 8 Carlos' recorded in 1881 and an index of 21.70x.

Place Total Index
Islington London 8 21.70x
Skipton 8 672.27x
Lambeth 5 15.07x
Bradford 4 189.57x
Kensington London 2 9.46x
Swindon 2 76.63x
Draughton 1 5000.00x
East Peckham 1 370.37x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 1 4.88x
Fulham London 1 18.12x
Ilkley 1 161.29x
Newcastle Under Lyme 1 44.05x
Royal Navy 1 25.84x
Stapleton 1 70.42x
West Ham 1 6.03x
Wisbech St Mary 1 357.14x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Carlos surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Ann 3
Bridget 2
Annie 1
Carline 1
Catherine 1
Eliza 1
Ellen 1
Emily 1
Emma 1
Florence 1
Hannah 1
Mary 1
Sabina 1
Sarah 1
Selina 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Carlos surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Carlos households.

FAQ

Carlos surname: questions and answers

How common was the Carlos surname in 1881?

In 1881, 38 people were recorded with the Carlos surname. That placed it at #28,285 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Carlos surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 320 in 2016. That gives Carlos a modern rank of #14,096.

What does the Carlos surname mean?

A Spanish and Portuguese surname derived from the Germanic name Karl, meaning "free man."

What does the Carlos map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Carlos bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.