2000
#11,307
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,564
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.95
Rare Last name
Cabrales
A locational surname referring to someone from any of the places named Cabrales in Spain.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,704 Americans carry the last name Cabrales. That puts it at #9,613 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.08 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 92,536 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cabrales 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
3.7K
1 in 92,536
Census rank
#9,613
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,230 bearers of the surname Cabrales in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.08 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9613th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cabrales, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.4%. The next largest groups are White (4.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cabrales
The surname Cabrales originates from the Spanish region of Asturias, and it likely dates back to the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the name of the village of Cabrales, located in the eastern part of Asturias, near the Picos de Europa mountain range.
The name Cabrales itself may have its roots in the Latin word "capralis," meaning "relating to goats." This suggests that the surname may have initially been used to identify someone who worked with goats or lived in an area known for goat herding.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname Cabrales can be found in the "Libro Becerro de las Behetrías de Castilla," a medieval document from the 14th century that lists various landholdings and their owners. In this record, there are references to individuals with the surname Cabrales holding properties in the region of Asturias.
During the 16th century, the Cabrales surname gained prominence through the exploits of Juan de Cabrales, a Spanish conquistador who participated in the conquest of Mexico alongside Hernán Cortés. Juan de Cabrales was born in Asturias around 1490 and played a significant role in several battles against the Aztecs.
Another notable figure with the Cabrales surname was Pedro de Cabrales, a Spanish soldier and explorer who accompanied Francisco Pizarro on his expeditions to Peru in the 16th century. Pedro de Cabrales was born in Asturias around 1505 and participated in the conquest of the Inca Empire.
In the realm of literature, the Spanish poet and playwright José de Cabrales y Arteaga (1619-1678) gained recognition for his works in the Baroque era. Born in Seville, he was a member of the literary academy known as the "Arcadia Mexicana."
The surname Cabrales also has connections to the culinary world, as it is the name of a renowned blue cheese produced in the Cabrales region of Asturias. This cheese has been made in the area since ancient times and has gained international recognition for its distinctive flavor and aroma.
Throughout history, the Cabrales surname has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including explorers, soldiers, writers, and artisans, all hailing from the rugged and picturesque region of Asturias in northern Spain.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cabrales
Among Census respondents with the surname Cabrales, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.4%. The next largest groups are White (4.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Cabrales 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 Cabrales surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino90.4% · 2,920
- White4.6% · 148
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.3% · 140
- Two or more races0.3% · 11
- Black or African American0.2% · 8
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cabrales
Cabrales 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
#9,258
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,516
+952 bearers (+37.1%)
Per 100,000 1.19
Rank movement Up 2,049 places
2020
#9,613
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,230
-286 bearers (-8.1%)
Per 100,000 1.08
Rank movement Down 355 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,307 | 2,564 | 0.95 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,258 | 3,516 | 1.19 | +952 bearers (+37.1%) | Up 2,049 places |
| 2020 | #9,613 | 3,230 | 1.08 | -286 bearers (-8.1%) | Down 355 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 Cabrales 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 | #9,258 | #9,613 | -3.8% |
| Count | 3,516 | 3,230 | -8.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.19 | 1.08 | -9.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cabrales bearers went from 3,516 to 3,230 (-8.1% change). The surname moved down 355 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,258 to #9,613.
FAQ
Cabrales surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cabrales?
Name Census estimates that about 3,704 living Americans carry the surname Cabrales. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 92,536 residents.
How common is Cabrales?
Cabrales ranks #9,613 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.08 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 3,230 people with the surname Cabrales. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,704), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.08 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.08 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 Cabrales.
Has Cabrales become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cabrales went from 3,516 recorded bearers to 3,230. That is a decrease of 286 (-8.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,258 to #9,613.
What does the Census say about the background of Cabrales?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cabrales, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.4%. The next largest groups are White (4.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.3%). 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 Cabrales in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.4% (2,920 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cabrales appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (90.4%), White (4.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (4.3%). 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 Cabrales (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 Cabrales mean?
A locational surname referring to someone from any of the places named Cabrales in Spain. 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 Cabrales (1.08 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 Cabrales?
Find out how many Americans have the surname Cabrales on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.