Find out how popular the last name Caballero is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Caballero.

Caballero, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Caballero surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Caballero in America

Caballero is the 1224th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Caballero surname appeared 28,903 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 10 people would have the surname Caballero.

We can also compare 2010 data for Caballero to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Caballero

The surname "CABALLERO" originated in Spain during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Spanish word "caballero," which means "horseman" or "knight." This name was initially given to individuals who worked as horsemen or served as knights in the noble class.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname "CABALLERO" can be traced back to the 12th century in various Spanish historical documents and manuscripts. These documents often referred to individuals with this surname as members of the nobility or military ranks.

One notable historical figure with the surname "CABALLERO" was Hernán Caballero, a Spanish military commander who participated in the Reconquista, the campaign to reclaim the Iberian Peninsula from the Moors during the 15th century.

Another prominent individual with this surname was Miguel Caballero de Cabrera, a 16th-century Spanish soldier and explorer who accompanied Hernán Cortés on his expeditions to Mexico. He played a significant role in the conquest of the Aztec Empire.

In the 17th century, Jerónimo Caballero was a renowned Spanish painter known for his religious works and portraits. He was born in Seville in 1605 and died in 1676.

During the 18th century, José Caballero y Góngora was a respected Spanish naval officer and scientist. He was born in 1723 and made significant contributions to the fields of astronomy and navigation.

In the 19th century, Fermín Caballero y Morgáez was a Spanish politician and historian who served as a member of the Spanish Parliament. He was born in 1800 and published several works on Spanish history and politics.

The surname "CABALLERO" has been widely used throughout Spain and its former colonies, particularly in Latin America. It is still a common surname in many Spanish-speaking countries today, reflecting its rich historical roots and significance.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Caballero

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Caballero.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Caballero was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Caballero has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Caballero was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Caballero, please contact us.

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