2010
#154,907
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Cabiling
An agricultural occupational surname derived from the Spanish word "caba" meaning to dig or cultivate.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Cabiling. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cabiling 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Cabiling in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cabiling, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%) and White (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cabiling
The surname Cabiling is believed to have originated in the Philippines, specifically in the Visayan region of the island of Panay. The name is thought to derive from the Hiligaynon word "kabiling," which means "neighbor" or "townmate."
The earliest known records of the name Cabiling can be found in Spanish colonial documents dating back to the 17th century. During this period, the Spanish colonizers often recorded the names of local residents for administrative purposes, and the name Cabiling appears in several of these records.
One notable historical reference to the name Cabiling is in the writings of the Spanish friar and historian, Juan de Plasencia. In his work titled "Relación de las Islas Filipinas," published in 1589, he mentions a village called "Cabiling" located in the province of Panay. This suggests that the surname may have originated from this place name.
The first recorded individual with the surname Cabiling is Domingo Cabiling, who lived in the town of Jaro, Iloilo, in the late 17th century. Domingo Cabiling was a prominent landowner and businessman in the area.
Another notable figure bearing the name Cabiling is Marcelo Cabiling, a revolutionary leader who fought against the Spanish colonial rule in the 19th century. He was born in the town of Miagao, Iloilo, in 1826 and played a significant role in the Hiligaynon revolution of 1898.
In the 20th century, the name Cabiling gained recognition through the achievements of several individuals. One such person was Filemon Cabiling, a renowned writer and poet who was born in Iloilo in 1904. His works, written in Hiligaynon and English, explored themes of love, nature, and national identity.
Another notable figure is Enrique Cabiling, a celebrated painter and sculptor who was born in Capiz in 1920. His art pieces, which often depicted scenes from rural life in the Philippines, are displayed in various museums and galleries across the country.
Lastly, Cristina Cabiling, born in 1952 in Iloilo, is a prominent educator and advocate for women's rights. She has held leadership positions in various educational institutions and has been recognized for her contributions to the promotion of gender equality and empowerment.
While the surname Cabiling may have its origins in a specific region of the Philippines, it has since spread across the country and even internationally, carried by generations of Filipinos who have embraced and upheld the name's legacy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cabiling
Among Census respondents with the surname Cabiling, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%) and White (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Cabiling 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 Cabiling surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander90.1% · 109
- Two or more races4.1% · 5
- White1.7% · 2
- Black or African American1.7% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cabiling
Cabiling appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
+16 bearers (+15.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 13,598 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #154,907 | 105 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | +16 bearers (+15.2%) | Up 13,598 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 Cabiling 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 | #154,907 | #141,309 | 8.8% |
| Count | 105 | 121 | 15.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cabiling bearers went from 105 to 121 (+15.2% change). The surname moved up 13,598 positions in the national ranking, going from #154,907 to #141,309.
FAQ
Cabiling surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cabiling?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Cabiling. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Cabiling?
Cabiling ranks #141,309 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 121 people with the surname Cabiling. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Cabiling.
Has Cabiling become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cabiling went from 105 recorded bearers to 121. That is an increase of 16 (+15.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #154,907 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Cabiling?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cabiling, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%) and White (1.7%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Cabiling in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.1% (109 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cabiling appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (90.1%), Two or More Races (4.1%), White (1.7%). 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 Cabiling (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 Cabiling mean?
An agricultural occupational surname derived from the Spanish word "caba" meaning to dig or cultivate. 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 Cabiling (0.04 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 Cabiling?
See how many people are called Cabiling on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.