UK surname

Carus

A Latin surname meaning "beloved" or "dear one".

In the 1881 census there were 72 people recorded with the Carus surname, ranking it #23,371 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 203, ranked #19,396, up from #23,371 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Manchester, Lytham and Mottram-in-Longdendale. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Denbighshire, Stratford-on-Avon and Lambeth.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Carus is 222 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 181.9%.

1881 census count

Ranked #23,371

Modern count

203

2016, ranked #19,396

Peak year

1998

222 bearers

Map years

1911 to 2016

Key insights

• Carus had 72 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #23,371 surname in that year.
• The latest modern count shown here is 203 in 2016, ranked #19,396.
• Within the historical census years, the highest count was 131 in 1911.
• The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Small Town Suburbia.

Map

Carus surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Carus surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Year

Loading map

Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Carus 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	25	#28,853
1861	historical	58	#26,585
1881	historical	72	#23,371
1891	historical	34	#31,604
1901	historical	31	#30,616
1911	historical	131	#19,404
1997	modern	211	#17,048
1998	modern	222	#16,969
1999	modern	214	#17,494
2000	modern	215	#17,388
2001	modern	205	#17,683
2002	modern	207	#17,911
2003	modern	215	#17,286
2004	modern	202	#18,110
2005	modern	200	#18,144
2006	modern	199	#18,357
2007	modern	190	#19,088
2008	modern	185	#19,589
2009	modern	199	#19,090
2010	modern	192	#19,960
2011	modern	193	#19,729
2012	modern	197	#19,408
2013	modern	196	#19,790
2014	modern	202	#19,575
2015	modern	201	#19,494
2016	modern	203	#19,396

Geography

Where Carus' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Manchester, Lytham, Mottram-in-Longdendale, Liverpool and Blackburn. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Denbighshire, Stratford-on-Avon, Lambeth, Torbay and Black Isle South. 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	Manchester	Lancashire
2	Lytham	Lancashire
3	Mottram-in-Longdendale	Lancashire
4	Liverpool	Lancashire
5	Blackburn	Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank	Area	District
1	Denbighshire 013	Denbighshire
2	Stratford-on-Avon 011	Stratford-on-Avon
3	Lambeth 023	Lambeth
4	Torbay 010	Torbay
5	Black Isle South	Highland

Forenames

First names often paired with Carus

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

Historical female names

Mary Ellen Elizabeth Sarah Ann Margaret Isabella Martha Catherine Jane

Historical male names

John James Alexander Thomas William Richard Joseph Albert Walter Arthur

Recent female names

Catherine Elizabeth Jean Margaret Samantha Louise Tanya Ann Susan Mary

Recent male names

Anthony Christopher James Peter David Roger Paul Richard Edward Darren

Modern profile

Neighbourhood profile for Carus

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Carus, 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

Retired Professionals

Group

Small Town Suburbia

Nationally, the Carus surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Small Town Suburbia, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Carus 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 is predominantly comprised of married couples with no resident dependent children, living in areas characterised neither by under-occupancy nor overcrowding throughout the UK in or adjacent to small towns. White ethnic groups and affiliation with Christianity predominates. Housing tends to be predominantly semi-detached or detached and workers are employed principally in managerial and professional occupations, with semi-skilled occupations also in evidence. These areas of the Supergroup are of higher population density.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Carus is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

These primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Carus is most concentrated in decile 2 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Carus falls in decile 1 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.

More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Carus is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

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

Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate: White - British

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

Origin

Meaning and origin of Carus

The surname Carus has its origins in ancient Rome, derived from the Latin word "carus" which means "dear" or "beloved". This name was likely given as a nickname or a personal epithet to someone who was held in high regard or affection by their community.

The earliest known records of the name Carus date back to the 3rd century AD, when it was borne by the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius Carus, who reigned from 282 to 283 AD. He was a distinguished military leader and is credited with repelling the invasion of the Sassanid Persians during his brief reign.

In the Middle Ages, the name Carus appeared in various regions of Europe, often with slight variations in spelling such as Carous, Carrus, or Caroso. One notable bearer of this name was Petrus Carus, a 12th-century French theologian and philosopher who taught at the University of Paris.

The Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, records several individuals with the surname Carus or variations thereof. This suggests that the name had already established a presence in England by the 11th century.

In Italy, the name Carus is found in historical records from as early as the 13th century. One notable figure was Girolamo Carus, a 16th-century Italian architect and sculptor who designed several churches and palaces in Venice and its surrounding areas.

In Germany, the name Carus appeared in various regions, with some early records dating back to the 15th century. One prominent bearer of this name was Carl Gustav Carus (1789-1869), a German painter, naturalist, and philosopher who made significant contributions to the fields of psychology and anthropology.

Other notable individuals with the surname Carus include:

1. Paul Carus (1852-1919), a German-American philosopher and writer who founded the Open Court Publishing Company and the journal "The Monist". 2. Titus Lucretius Carus (c. 99 BC - c. 55 BC), a Roman poet and philosopher best known for his work "De Rerum Natura" (On the Nature of Things). 3. Carl Gustav Carus (1789-1869), a German painter, naturalist, and philosopher mentioned earlier. 4. Marcus Aurelius Carus (282-283 AD), the Roman Emperor mentioned earlier. 5. Petrus Carus (12th century), the French theologian and philosopher mentioned earlier.

While the surname Carus has its roots in ancient Rome, it has since spread to various parts of the world, with bearers of this name making significant contributions in fields ranging from philosophy and literature to architecture and the arts.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Carus families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Carus 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. Lancashire leads with 61 Carus' recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.42x.

County	Total	Frequency	Index
Lancashire	61	0.00%	7.42x
Middlesex	6	0.00%	0.87x
Fife	1	0.00%	2.44x
Hampshire	1	0.00%	0.70x
Westmorland	1	0.00%	6.57x
Yorkshire	1	0.00%	0.15x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Blackburn in Lancashire leads with 33 Carus' recorded in 1881 and an index of 150.96x.

Place	Total	Frequency	Index
Blackburn	33	0.04%	150.96x
Clitheroe	10	0.10%	413.22x
Lytham	8	0.15%	640.00x
Mile End Old Town London	4	0.01%	27.14x
Walmersley Cum	4	0.07%	305.34x
Great Bolton	2	0.00%	18.38x
Kensington London	2	0.00%	5.20x
Preston	2	0.00%	9.10x
Aldershot	1	0.01%	21.05x
Ashton Under Lyne	1	0.00%	5.57x
Casterton	1	0.17%	714.29x
Dunfermline	1	0.00%	15.87x
Holbeck	1	0.01%	21.98x
Rumworth	1	0.02%	85.47x

Top female names

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

Name	Count
Mary	8
Sarah	4
Ann	3
Ellen	2
Emma	2
Margaret	2
Agnes	1
Blanche	1
Catherine	1
Elizabeth	1
Fanny	1
Harriet	1
Helen	1
Jane	1
Jessie	1
Lucy	1
Martha	1
Sophia	1
Susannah	1

Top male names

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

Name	Count
Alexander	7
John	6
Thomas	4
James	3
William	2
Charles	1
Edmund	1
Francis	1
Frederick	1
George	1
Henry	1
Herbert	1
Isaac	1
Israel	1
Joseph	1
Matthew	1
Sandford	1
Sanford	1
Thos.Henry	1

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 Carus households.

Occupation	Count
Scholar	13
Cotton Spinner	4
Cotton Weaver	4
Cotton Winder	4
Operative Cotton Mill	3
Plumber	2
(Housekeeper)	1
Cotton Manufacturer (Employing 244 Workpeople)	1
Engine Driver	1
General Domestic Servant	1
Heald Knitter	1
House Painter	1
Housewife	1
Housework	1
Iron Moulder	1
Joiner	1
Joiners Apprentice	1
Machine Smith	1
Master Cotton Manufacturer	1
Model Maker (Looms)	1
Musical Artiste	1
Painter	1
Painter Master Employing 4 Men And One Boy	1
Self Actor Cotton Winder	1
Tape Sizer	1
Tin Plate Worker	1
Wife	1

FAQ

Carus surname: questions and answers

How common was the Carus surname in 1881?

In 1881, 72 people were recorded with the Carus surname. That placed it at #23,371 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Carus surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 203 in 2016. That gives Carus a modern rank of #19,396.

What does the Carus surname mean?