Cardell
A masculine name possibly derived from the word "cardinal" meaning high-ranking clergy.
Name Census estimates that about 1,891 living Americans carry the first name Cardell. It is a predominantly male name (99.0% of registrations). The average person named Cardell today is around 44 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Cardell births was 1989 (41 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Cardell. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
1.9K
~ 1 in 181,256 Americans
Peak year
1989
41 babies that year
Average age
44
years old
2024 SSA rank
#3,549
Tracked since 1914
Gender
Gender distribution for Cardell
Out of the 2,385 babies given the name Cardell since 1880, 99.0% were registered as male. The name sits firmly on the male side of the spectrum, with only a handful of female registrations across the entire dataset.
Cardell as a male name
- Ranked #7,826 in 2024
- 10 male births in 2024
- Peak: 1989 (41 births)
Cardell as a female name
- Ranked #3,549 in 1940
- 7 female births in 1940
- Peak: 1940 (7 births)
Popularity
Cardell: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Cardell from the 1910s through to the 2020s, spanning 12 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 314 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1980s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Cardell by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Cardell during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Cardells live
The SSA's state-level files cover 10 states and territories. Louisiana, Illinois, California recorded the most babies named Cardell, while North Carolina, Missouri, Arkansas recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 33 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Cardell
The name Cardell is believed to have originated from the Old English word "cardo," meaning "a hinge" or "a pivot." It is thought to have been initially used as a surname, referring to someone who lived near a hinged gate or worked as a hinge-maker.
In the Middle Ages, the name Cardell was predominantly found in England, particularly in the northern regions. It is possible that the name had its roots in the Anglo-Saxon culture that existed in these areas before the Norman Conquest in 1066.
While there are no definitive records of the name Cardell appearing in ancient texts or religious scriptures, it is worth noting that many Old English names were derived from everyday objects or occupations, and Cardell fits this pattern.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Cardell was Sir John Cardell, a knight who lived in the 14th century and fought in the Hundred Years' War between England and France. Another notable figure was William Cardell, a merchant and landowner from Yorkshire, England, who lived in the late 15th century.
In the 16th century, a man named Thomas Cardell gained recognition as a skilled architect and builder. He was responsible for the construction of several churches and manor houses in the English countryside.
During the 17th century, the name Cardell was associated with the English Civil War. Captain Richard Cardell was a Royalist officer who fought for King Charles I against the Parliamentarian forces led by Oliver Cromwell.
In the 18th century, a scholar named Edward Cardell made significant contributions to the field of linguistics. He published several works on the origins and evolution of various languages, including Old English and Anglo-Saxon dialects.
Another notable bearer of the name was Sir Henry Cardell, a British military officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars during the early 19th century. He was celebrated for his bravery and leadership in several major battles against the French forces.
People
Cardell + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Cardell as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with C
Other first names starting with C with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Cardell: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Cardell?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,891 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Cardell going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 181,256 US residents.
Is Cardell a common name?
We classify Cardell as "Rare". It ranks above 93.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 2,385 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Cardell most popular?
The single biggest year for Cardell was 1989, when 41 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Cardell is about 44 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Cardell a male name?
Yes, 99.0% of people registered as Cardell in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.