2000
#13,187
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,124
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.79
Rare Last name
Cabezas
A Spanish surname meaning "heads," likely referring to a large-headed person or an intellectual leader.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,369 Americans carry the last name Cabezas. That puts it at #10,434 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.98 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 101,738 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cabezas 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
3.4K
1 in 101,738
Census rank
#10,434
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,938 bearers of the surname Cabezas in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.98 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10434th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cabezas, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 89.9%. The next largest groups are White (7.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cabezas
The surname Cabezas originates from Spain, with its roots dating back to the medieval era. It is derived from the Spanish word "cabeza," meaning "head," and was likely initially bestowed as a descriptive nickname or to indicate a person's occupation or physical trait.
Cabezas is considered a patronymic surname, formed by adding the plural suffix "-as" to the word "cabeza." This naming convention was common in Spain and other Spanish-speaking regions, where surnames often reflected a person's lineage or familial ties.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Cabezas surname can be found in the Archivo de la Corona de Aragón (Archive of the Crown of Aragon), a collection of historical documents dating back to the 12th century. The name appears in various legal and administrative records from that time period, indicating its presence in parts of what is now modern-day Spain and Portugal.
In the 15th century, Juan Cabezas was a notable figure who served as a magistrate and counselor to King Juan II of Castile. His influence and contributions to the legal system during that era left a lasting impact on the Spanish judicial system.
During the Age of Exploration, the Cabezas surname accompanied Spanish explorers and settlers as they ventured to the Americas. One such individual was Pedro de Cabezas, a conquistador who participated in the conquest of Peru alongside Francisco Pizarro in the 16th century.
Later, in the 17th century, Miguel Cabezas was a renowned cartographer and mapmaker who produced detailed maps of the Spanish territories in the New World. His work aided in the exploration and colonization efforts of the Spanish Empire.
Another notable figure with the Cabezas surname was Juan José Cabezas (1799-1872), a Venezuelan military leader and politician who played a significant role in the country's independence movement and subsequent governance.
Throughout history, the Cabezas surname has been associated with various locations and regions across Spain, including the provinces of Andalusia, Extremadura, and Castile. In some cases, the name may have derived from or been influenced by place names or toponymic references related to the word "cabeza," such as Cabeza del Buey or Cabeza la Vaca.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cabezas
Among Census respondents with the surname Cabezas, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 89.9%. The next largest groups are White (7.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Cabezas 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 Cabezas surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino89.9% · 2,642
- White7.8% · 228
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.4% · 41
- Two or more races0.6% · 17
- Black or African American0.3% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cabezas
Cabezas 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
#10,947
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,909
+785 bearers (+37.0%)
Per 100,000 0.99
Rank movement Up 2,240 places
2020
#10,434
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,938
+29 bearers (+1.0%)
Per 100,000 0.98
Rank movement Up 513 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,187 | 2,124 | 0.79 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,947 | 2,909 | 0.99 | +785 bearers (+37.0%) | Up 2,240 places |
| 2020 | #10,434 | 2,938 | 0.98 | +29 bearers (+1.0%) | Up 513 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 Cabezas 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 | #10,947 | #10,434 | 4.7% |
| Count | 2,909 | 2,938 | 1.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.99 | 0.98 | -0.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cabezas bearers went from 2,909 to 2,938 (+1.0% change). The surname moved up 513 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,947 to #10,434.
FAQ
Cabezas surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cabezas?
Name Census estimates that about 3,369 living Americans carry the surname Cabezas. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 101,738 residents.
How common is Cabezas?
Cabezas ranks #10,434 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.98 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 2,938 people with the surname Cabezas. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,369), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.98 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.98 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 Cabezas.
Has Cabezas become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cabezas went from 2,909 recorded bearers to 2,938. That is an increase of 29 (+1.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #10,947 to #10,434.
What does the Census say about the background of Cabezas?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cabezas, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 89.9%. The next largest groups are White (7.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.4%). 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 Cabezas in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.9% (2,642 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cabezas appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (89.9%), White (7.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.4%). 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 Cabezas (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 Cabezas mean?
A Spanish surname meaning "heads," likely referring to a large-headed person or an intellectual leader. 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 Cabezas (0.98 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 Cabezas?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Cabezas on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.