Caraway
An English surname that may come from a place-name or a nickname linked to caraway, the spice and seed.
The #5,340 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 47,375 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The surname Caraway is not securely explained in the older sources. It has been connected either with the English word for the spice caraway, or with a now-obscure place-name or nickname built on a similar-sounding form. Because the historical evidence is thin and the excerpted scholarship does not give a firm derivation, the safest conclusion is that the name’s exact origin remains uncertain.
History
The name appears in historical records in several spellings, including Caraway, Carvey, and related forms. The modern distribution in the United States suggests it survived as a relatively uncommon family name rather than becoming widespread. Older surname dictionaries mention it alongside other British forms, but do not provide a fully settled etymology.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The word caraway is also the name of a spice and seed used in breads and liqueurs, which is why the surname can sound like a kitchen word.
From the historical record
“John Garewy. co. Cloor., 10 Ed*. I. R. 1681. BiTKd- William Caraway, St. F«er,ComliiJI, ii. 97. ITU. Marrinl — Jamn CiKtidFlt and EliirGarwar, Si. Geo. Hsn. Sq. i. 51.”
— A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with special American instances