Carlos History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The history of the name Carlos begins in the days of the Anglo-Saxon tribes in Britain. It was a name for a person who was believed to be free from care or unconcerned. The nickname is derived from the Old English word carleas, which referred to a "cheerful, merry" person. 1

One source claims that the name is a derivation of "Carlos, or its original, Carolus," 2 and we shall see later, Carlos was indeed still used by some people as late as the 17th century.

Early Origins of the Carlos family

The surname Carlos was first found in Gloucestershire, but some of the family were found in Lancashire at Welsh Whittle in early times. "In that of Edward III., Sir William Careles held the manor, so called, of Walshwittell. " 3

Later some of the family were found in Worcestershire, where "Careless is at present an Evesham name, and Carless is still a Worcester name. " 4 There was only one entry for the family in Yorkshire at the time of the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379: Willelmus Careles. 5

Early History of the Carlos family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Carlos research. Another 104 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1200, 1260, 1379, 1570, 1610, 1619, 1651, 1665, 1670, 1689, 1700, 1722 and 1769 are included under the topic Early Carlos History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Carlos Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Carlos are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Carlos include: Carlesse, Carelesse, Careless, Carless, Karelees, Kareles, Careles, Corless, Curless, Korelees and many more.

Early Notables of the Carlos family

Notables of the family at this time include

Colonel William Careless, Carles or Carlos (c. 1610-1689), was an English Royalist officer of the English Civil War, companion of King Charles II when the fugitive monarch hid in the Royal Oak followi...

Carlos Ranking

In the United States, the name Carlos is the 3,785^th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 6 However, in France, the name Carlos is ranked the 6,336^th most popular surname with an estimated 1,000 - 1,500 people with that name. 7

Carlos migration to the United States +

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Carlos or a variant listed above:

Carlos Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Jose Carlos, aged 35, who arrived in New Orleans, La in 1827 8
Domingo Carlos, aged 43, who landed in New Orleans, La in 1838 8

Contemporary Notables of the name Carlos (post 1700) +

Francisco Manuel Carlos (b. 1940), American former Major League Baseball pitcher who played from 1967 to 1970
John Wesley Carlos (b. 1945), American gold and bronze Olympic medalist and later a NFL and CFL football player
Wendy Carlos (b. 1939), American three-time Grammy Award winning composer and musician, known for her work on A Clockwork Orange (1971) and The Shining (1980), as well as Walt Disney's Tron (1982)
Bun E. Carlos (b. 1951), born Brad M. Carlson, American musician and drummer for the rock band Cheap Trick
Jean Carlos (1974-2024), born as Jean Carlos da Conceição, was a Brazilian professional footballer
Infante Carlos of Spain, KOGF, KGCHS (1938-2015), Spanish nobleman, Prince of the Two Sicilies, Duke of Calabria
Roberto Carlos (b. 1973), Brazilian footballer
Don Carlos (1788-1855), Spanish pretender
Juan Carlos Barbieri (1932-1996), Argentine stage and film actor
Antonio Carlos Guimaraes (b. 1973), known as Tuca Guimarães, is a Brazilian football coach

Citations +

Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Charnock, Richard, Stephen, Ludus Patronymicus of The Etymology of Curious Surnames. London: Trubner & Co., 60 Paternoster Row, 1868. Print.
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)