2000
#33,425
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 644
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.24
Very Rare Last name
Cabal
A term referring to a small group of private individuals pursuing sinister or underhanded plots.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 969 Americans carry the last name Cabal. That puts it at #29,734 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.28 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 353,720 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cabal 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
969
1 in 353,720
Census rank
#29,734
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
845
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 845 bearers of the surname Cabal in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.28 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 29734th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cabal, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 37.9%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (37.9%) and White (19.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cabal
The surname CABAL is of Spanish origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval period. The name likely derives from the Latin word "caballa," meaning "horse," suggesting a possible connection to horse breeding or cavalry. It has also been proposed that the name may stem from the Arabic word "qabail," meaning "tribes" or "clans," reflecting the diverse cultural influences present in Spanish history.
Some of the earliest recorded instances of the CABAL surname can be found in medieval Spanish documents, such as the Libro del Repartimiento, a record of land distribution in the Kingdom of Valencia after the Reconquista in the 13th century. The name appears to have been particularly prevalent in the regions of Andalusia and Valencia, where variations like "Cabales" and "Caballes" were also common.
One notable historical figure associated with this surname was Pedro Cabál de Vaca, a Spanish conquistador and explorer who accompanied Hernando de Soto on his expeditions in Florida and the American Southeast in the 16th century. Born around 1490, Cabál de Vaca is known for his accounts of his travels and encounters with Native American tribes, which provided valuable insights into the indigenous cultures of the region.
Another prominent individual bearing the CABAL surname was Juan Cabál, a Spanish soldier and colonial administrator who served as the Governor of Puerto Rico from 1670 to 1676. His tenure was marked by efforts to strengthen the island's defenses against foreign threats and improve its economic development.
In the realm of art and literature, the name CABAL is associated with the Spanish painter Juan Cabál Mena, who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. His works, primarily religious paintings and portraits, can be found in various churches and museums across Spain.
The CABAL surname also has connections to the Portuguese nobility, with the Marquesses of Cabal being a prominent family in the 18th and 19th centuries. One notable member was José Cabál Pereira de Lacerda, the 1st Marquess of Cabal, who served as the Governor of the Portuguese colony of Brazil in the late 18th century.
Throughout its history, the CABAL surname has undergone various spellings and variations, including Cabale, Caballo, and Caballe, reflecting regional dialects and linguistic changes over time. However, the core meaning and origin of the name remain rooted in its Spanish heritage and medieval origins.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cabal
Among Census respondents with the surname Cabal, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 37.9%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (37.9%) and White (19.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Cabal 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 Cabal surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino37.9% · 320
- Asian and Pacific Islander37.9% · 320
- White19.6% · 166
- Two or more races4.3% · 36
- Black or African American0.4% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cabal
Cabal 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
#30,916
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 752
+108 bearers (+16.8%)
Per 100,000 0.25
Rank movement Up 2,509 places
2020
#29,734
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 845
+93 bearers (+12.4%)
Per 100,000 0.28
Rank movement Up 1,182 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #33,425 | 644 | 0.24 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #30,916 | 752 | 0.25 | +108 bearers (+16.8%) | Up 2,509 places |
| 2020 | #29,734 | 845 | 0.28 | +93 bearers (+12.4%) | Up 1,182 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 Cabal 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 | #30,916 | #29,734 | 3.8% |
| Count | 752 | 845 | 12.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.25 | 0.28 | 13.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cabal bearers went from 752 to 845 (+12.4% change). The surname moved up 1,182 positions in the national ranking, going from #30,916 to #29,734.
FAQ
Cabal surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cabal?
Name Census estimates that about 969 living Americans carry the surname Cabal. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 353,720 residents.
How common is Cabal?
Cabal ranks #29,734 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.28 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 845 people with the surname Cabal. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (969), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.28 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.28 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Cabal.
Has Cabal become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cabal went from 752 recorded bearers to 845. That is an increase of 93 (+12.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #30,916 to #29,734.
What does the Census say about the background of Cabal?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cabal, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 37.9%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (37.9%) and White (19.6%). 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 Cabal in the 2020 Census, accounting for 37.9% (320 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cabal appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (37.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (37.9%), White (19.6%). 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 Cabal (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 Cabal mean?
A term referring to a small group of private individuals pursuing sinister or underhanded plots. 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 Cabal (0.28 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 many people are called Cabal?
See how many Americans have the surname Cabal on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.