2000
#14,885
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,824
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.68
Rare Last name
Caba
A Spanish surname derived from the Latin word "caput," meaning "head" or "chief."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,999 Americans carry the last name Caba. That puts it at #11,509 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.87 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 114,290 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Caba surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
3.0K
1 in 114,290
Census rank
#11,509
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,615 bearers of the surname Caba in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.87 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11509th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Caba, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 83.0%. The next largest groups are White (10.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Caba
The surname CABA is believed to have originated in Spain during the medieval period. It is likely derived from the Spanish word "caba," which means "ditch" or "trench," suggesting a connection to agricultural or military occupations involving digging or fortifications.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the CABA surname can be traced back to the 13th century in the region of Aragon, located in northeastern Spain. Historical records from this time mention individuals with variations of the name, such as Cabas and Cabal, which may have been early spellings of the same surname.
In the 14th century, the CABA name appeared in various municipal records and land registries across Spain, indicating its spread throughout the country. Some notable figures bearing this surname during this period include Diego Caba, a landowner in Seville (born around 1320), and Juan Caba, a soldier who fought in the Reconquista (born circa 1370).
During the 15th and 16th centuries, as Spanish explorers and colonists ventured to the Americas, the CABA surname likely traveled with them. Historical records from this era mention individuals with this surname in various parts of the Spanish Empire, including the Caribbean and Central America.
One prominent figure with the CABA surname was Hernando Caba, a Spanish conquistador who participated in the conquest of Peru under Francisco Pizarro in the 1530s. Another notable individual was Pedro Caba, a Jesuit missionary who worked in the Philippines in the late 16th century (born around 1560).
In the 17th and 18th centuries, the CABA surname continued to appear in various regions of Spain, as well as in Spanish colonial records from the Americas. Notable individuals from this period include Miguel Caba, a renowned architect who designed several churches and public buildings in Seville (born in 1645), and Juana Caba, a landowner and philanthropist in Havana, Cuba (born around 1720).
As the CABA surname spread across different regions and cultures, its spelling and pronunciation may have evolved slightly, leading to variations such as Cabá, Cabá, and Cabas. However, the core meaning and origin of the name likely remained linked to its Spanish roots and agricultural or military associations.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Caba
Among Census respondents with the surname Caba, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 83.0%. The next largest groups are White (10.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Caba bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Caba surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino83.0% · 2,170
- White10.7% · 279
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.7% · 98
- Black or African American1.9% · 49
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 12
- Two or more races0.3% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Caba
Caba appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#12,407
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,506
+682 bearers (+37.4%)
Per 100,000 0.85
Rank movement Up 2,478 places
2020
#11,509
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,615
+109 bearers (+4.3%)
Per 100,000 0.87
Rank movement Up 898 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,885 | 1,824 | 0.68 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,407 | 2,506 | 0.85 | +682 bearers (+37.4%) | Up 2,478 places |
| 2020 | #11,509 | 2,615 | 0.87 | +109 bearers (+4.3%) | Up 898 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Caba surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #12,407 | #11,509 | 7.2% |
| Count | 2,506 | 2,615 | 4.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.85 | 0.87 | 2.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Caba bearers went from 2,506 to 2,615 (+4.3% change). The surname moved up 898 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,407 to #11,509.
FAQ
Caba surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Caba?
Name Census estimates that about 2,999 living Americans carry the surname Caba. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 114,290 residents.
How common is Caba?
Caba ranks #11,509 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.87 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,615 people with the surname Caba. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,999), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.87 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.87 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Caba.
Has Caba become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Caba went from 2,506 recorded bearers to 2,615. That is an increase of 109 (+4.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #12,407 to #11,509.
What does the Census say about the background of Caba?
Among Census respondents with the surname Caba, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 83.0%. The next largest groups are White (10.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.7%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Caba in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.0% (2,170 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Caba appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (83.0%), White (10.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3.7%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Caba (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Caba mean?
A Spanish surname derived from the Latin word "caput," meaning "head" or "chief." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Caba (0.87 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Caba?
Find out how common the surname Caba is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.