Show ContentsCarlos History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The surname Carlos is an Anglicization of the Irish Mac Coirleasa. Later the name evolved to Mac Cathail and Mac Carluis. The forename Cathal is equivalent to Charles. 1

Early Origins of the Carlos family

The surname Carlos was first found in Ui Maine, but now the name is mostly found in Co. Galway. 1

O'Hart notes that Cathal, brother of Inrachtach was the ancestor of O'Donallain which is Anglicized as Donnellan. "This Cathal was the 18th Christian King of Connaught." 2 His son, Ardgall "died a saint at Hye, in Scotland A.D. 786." Cathal as a forename continued in this lineage for many years.

Early History of the Carlos family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Carlos research. Another 220 words (16 lines of text) covering the years 1356, 1390, 1432, 1571, 1585, 1612, 1626, 1817, 1840 and 1856 are included under the topic Early Carlos History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Carlos Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Corless, Corliss, Carlos, Charles, MacCorless, MacCathail and many more.

Early Notables of the Carlos family

Notable amongst the family name at this time was Hugh MacCauaghwell (1571-1626), who was appointed the Archbishop of Armagh in the year that he died. Henry George...
Another 26 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Carlos Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Carlos Ranking

In the United States, the name Carlos is the 3,785th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 3 However, in France, the name Carlos is ranked the 6,336th most popular surname with an estimated 1,000 - 1,500 people with that name. 4


United States Carlos migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Carlos Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Jose Carlos, aged 35, who arrived in New Orleans, La in 1827 5
  • Domingo Carlos, aged 43, who landed in New Orleans, La in 1838 5

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


The Carlos Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Subditus fidelis regis et salus regni
Motto Translation: A subject faithful to the King and the safety of the kingdom


  1. MacLysaght, Edward, Supplement to Irish Families. Baltimore: Genealogical Book Company, 1964. Print.
  2. O'Hart, John, Irish Pedigrees 5th Edition in 2 Volumes. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1976. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0737-4)
  3. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  4. http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
  5. 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)


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