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 123796th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Caballero surname appeared 139 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 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 Cabellero originated in Spain during the medieval period. It is derived from the Spanish word "caballero," which means "knight" or "horseman." The name likely originated as a descriptive surname for someone who worked as a knight, cavalryman, or horseman.

The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the 12th century in various regions of Spain, such as Castile, Aragon, and Andalusia. It is believed that the name may have been used to refer to members of the Spanish nobility or military who were skilled horsemen and fought on horseback.

In the 13th century, a notable individual with the surname Cabellero was Rodrigo Cabellero, a knight who participated in the Reconquista, the centuries-long campaign by Christian kingdoms to reclaim territories from the Moors in the Iberian Peninsula. Rodrigo Cabellero is mentioned in several medieval chronicles for his bravery and skill as a horseman.

Another prominent figure bearing the surname was Juan Cabellero, a Spanish conquistador who accompanied Hernán Cortés on his expedition to Mexico in the early 16th century. Juan Cabellero played a significant role in the conquest of the Aztec Empire and is mentioned in various accounts of the campaign.

In the 17th century, Pedro Cabellero (1624-1698) was a renowned Spanish playwright and poet. He was known for his religious plays and satirical works, and his plays were performed in various theaters throughout Spain during his lifetime.

During the 18th century, the Cabellero family established themselves as wealthy landowners in the region of Andalusia. One notable member was José Cabellero (1745-1811), who owned vast estates and was influential in local politics.

As the name spread throughout Spain and its colonies, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Caballero, Cavallero, and Cavalheiro. These variations often reflected regional dialects and preferences in different parts of the Spanish-speaking world.

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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