2000
#7,902
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,886
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.44
Rare Last name
Cabello
A Spanish surname referring to someone with hair, derived from the word "cabello" meaning "hair" in Spanish.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,750 Americans carry the last name Cabello. That puts it at #6,507 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.68 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 59,609 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cabello 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
5.8K
1 in 59,609
Census rank
#6,507
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,014 bearers of the surname Cabello in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.68 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6507th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cabello, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 89.6%. The next largest groups are White (6.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cabello
The surname Cabello originates from Spain and has its roots in the Spanish language. It is derived from the Spanish word "cabello," meaning "hair" or "head of hair." The name likely originated as a descriptive nickname given to someone with a distinctive head of hair, either in terms of color, texture, or abundance.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Cabello surname can be found in the medieval Spanish records from the 13th century. During this time, the use of hereditary surnames became more widespread among the nobility and upper classes in Spain. The Cabello family was likely part of the lesser nobility or landed gentry in the regions of Andalusia or Castile.
In the 15th century, a notable figure bearing the Cabello surname was Rodrigo Cabello, a Spanish soldier and explorer who participated in the conquest of the Canary Islands under the command of Juan de Betancurt. Rodrigo Cabello played a significant role in subjugating the indigenous population and establishing Spanish control over the islands.
During the 16th century, the Cabello surname gained prominence in the Spanish colonies of the New World. One of the earliest recorded instances is that of Juan Cabello, a Spanish conquistador who accompanied Hernán Cortés in the conquest of Mexico in the 1520s. Juan Cabello was among the first European settlers in the region and played a role in the establishment of Spanish settlements and the subjugation of indigenous populations.
In the 17th century, a notable figure with the Cabello surname was Miguel Cabello de Balboa, a Spanish chronicler and author who wrote extensively about the history and culture of the Inca Empire in Peru. His work, "Miscelánea Antártica," published in 1586, is considered one of the most comprehensive accounts of the Inca civilization from a Spanish perspective.
Another significant figure bearing the Cabello surname was Francisco Cabello y Espinosa, a Spanish military officer and administrator who served as the governor of Chile from 1629 to 1639. He played a crucial role in the Spanish colonization efforts and the conflicts with the Mapuche people in the region.
Throughout history, the Cabello surname has been associated with various place names in Spain, such as Cabello de Alba in the province of Cáceres, and Cabello de Salinas in the province of Guadalajara. These place names likely derived from the presence of Cabello families in those areas or were named after prominent individuals with that surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cabello
Among Census respondents with the surname Cabello, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 89.6%. The next largest groups are White (6.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Cabello 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 Cabello surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino89.6% · 4,491
- White6.9% · 344
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 96
- Black or African American0.8% · 41
- Two or more races0.6% · 29
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 13
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cabello
Cabello 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
#6,358
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,358
+1,472 bearers (+37.9%)
Per 100,000 1.82
Rank movement Up 1,544 places
2020
#6,507
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,014
-344 bearers (-6.4%)
Per 100,000 1.68
Rank movement Down 149 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,902 | 3,886 | 1.44 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,358 | 5,358 | 1.82 | +1,472 bearers (+37.9%) | Up 1,544 places |
| 2020 | #6,507 | 5,014 | 1.68 | -344 bearers (-6.4%) | Down 149 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 Cabello 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 | #6,358 | #6,507 | -2.3% |
| Count | 5,358 | 5,014 | -6.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.82 | 1.68 | -7.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cabello bearers went from 5,358 to 5,014 (-6.4% change). The surname moved down 149 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,358 to #6,507.
FAQ
Cabello surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cabello?
Name Census estimates that about 5,750 living Americans carry the surname Cabello. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 59,609 residents.
How common is Cabello?
Cabello ranks #6,507 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.68 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,014 people with the surname Cabello. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,750), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.68 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.68 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Cabello.
Has Cabello become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cabello went from 5,358 recorded bearers to 5,014. That is a decrease of 344 (-6.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,358 to #6,507.
What does the Census say about the background of Cabello?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cabello, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 89.6%. The next largest groups are White (6.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%). 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 Cabello in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.6% (4,491 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cabello appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (89.6%), White (6.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%). 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 Cabello (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 Cabello mean?
A Spanish surname referring to someone with hair, derived from the word "cabello" meaning "hair" in Spanish. 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 Cabello (1.68 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 share the surname Cabello?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.