2000
#14,391
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,907
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.71
Rare Last name
Cadwallader
A Welsh surname derived from the personal name "Cadwallon" meaning "battle-leader" or "mighty warrior".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,076 Americans carry the last name Cadwallader. That puts it at #15,549 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.61 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 165,103 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cadwallader 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Cadwallader with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.1K
1 in 165,103
Census rank
#15,549
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,810 bearers of the surname Cadwallader in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.61 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15549th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cadwallader, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cadwallader
The surname Cadwallader originated in Wales during the medieval period. It derives from the Welsh personal name Cadwallon, a compound of the elements "cad" meaning "battle" and "gallwn" meaning "leader" or "ruler." The name was borne by several early Welsh rulers and princes.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Cadwallader is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Cadwallader." This suggests that the name had already become established as a surname by the late 11th century in parts of Wales and possibly the Welsh Marches.
In the 13th century, the name is recorded in various Welsh chronicles and annals, such as the Brut y Tywysogyon (Chronicle of the Princes), where it appears in the form "Cadwaladr." This spelling variation reflects the fluid nature of surnames in the Middle Ages.
The earliest known bearer of the surname Cadwallader was Cadwaladr ap Gruffydd (c. 1188-1241), a Welsh prince and ruler of the Kingdom of Gwynedd. He played a significant role in the struggles against the English during the early 13th century.
Another notable figure was Sir John Cadwallader (c. 1533-1604), a Welsh politician and Member of Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. He served as Sheriff of Denbighshire and Flintshire.
In the 17th century, the name is found in the parish records of Llansilin, Denbighshire, where a Thomas Cadwallader was recorded in 1670. The name also appears in the records of Llanfair Dyffryn Clwyd, Denbighshire, with the spelling "Cadwalader" being used.
During the American Revolutionary War, John Cadwalader (1742-1786) was a prominent military officer and politician from Philadelphia. He fought in several battles and later served as a member of the Continental Congress.
In the 19th century, the name is associated with the English scholar and writer George Cadwallader Boville (1804-1889), who was born in Calcutta, India, and later settled in England, where he wrote extensively on Indian history and culture.
Throughout its history, the surname Cadwallader has maintained its strong Welsh roots and connections to the early rulers and princes of medieval Wales. While variations in spelling have occurred over time, the name's association with leadership and military prowess has persisted throughout its long history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cadwallader
Among Census respondents with the surname Cadwallader, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Cadwallader 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 Cadwallader surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.4% · 1,655
- Two or more races4.1% · 75
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 51
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 18
- Black or African American0.6% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cadwallader
Cadwallader 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
#15,456
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,895
-12 bearers (-0.6%)
Per 100,000 0.64
Rank movement Down 1,065 places
2020
#15,549
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,810
-85 bearers (-4.5%)
Per 100,000 0.61
Rank movement Down 93 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,391 | 1,907 | 0.71 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,456 | 1,895 | 0.64 | -12 bearers (-0.6%) | Down 1,065 places |
| 2020 | #15,549 | 1,810 | 0.61 | -85 bearers (-4.5%) | Down 93 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 Cadwallader 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 | #15,456 | #15,549 | -0.6% |
| Count | 1,895 | 1,810 | -4.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.64 | 0.61 | -5.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cadwallader bearers went from 1,895 to 1,810 (-4.5% change). The surname moved down 93 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,456 to #15,549.
FAQ
Cadwallader surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cadwallader?
Name Census estimates that about 2,076 living Americans carry the surname Cadwallader. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 165,103 residents.
How common is Cadwallader?
Cadwallader ranks #15,549 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.61 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 1,810 people with the surname Cadwallader. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,076), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.61 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.61 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 Cadwallader.
Has Cadwallader become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cadwallader went from 1,895 recorded bearers to 1,810. That is a decrease of 85 (-4.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #15,456 to #15,549.
What does the Census say about the background of Cadwallader?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cadwallader, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%) and Hispanic (2.8%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Cadwallader in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.4% (1,655 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cadwallader appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.4%), Two or More Races (4.1%), Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Cadwallader (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 Cadwallader mean?
A Welsh surname derived from the personal name "Cadwallon" meaning "battle-leader" or "mighty warrior". 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 Cadwallader (0.61 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 have the surname Cadwallader?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.