Find out how popular the last name Cael is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Cael.

Cael, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Cael surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Cael in America

Cael is the 139228th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Cael surname appeared 120 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Cael.

We can also compare 2010 data for Cael to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Cael

The surname CAEL has its origins in the Gaelic language, with roots tracing back to Ireland. The name is believed to have emerged in the late medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century.

One of the earliest known references to the CAEL surname can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the 17th century. The chronicle mentions a notable individual named Tadhg Cael, who lived in the 14th century and was a member of the Uí Briúin Bréifne dynasty.

The name CAEL is derived from the Gaelic word "caol," which means "slender" or "thin." It is likely that the surname was originally a descriptive nickname given to someone with a slender or thin physique. Variations of the spelling include Cail, Caill, and Keale.

In the 16th century, records indicate the presence of the CAEL surname in County Donegal, particularly in the Barony of Raphoe. A notable figure from this time period was Terence Cael, a landowner and chieftain who lived in the late 1500s.

During the 17th century, the CAEL surname spread to other parts of Ireland, including County Galway and County Mayo. One prominent individual was Séamus Cael, a poet and scholar who was born in County Galway in the late 1600s.

In the 18th century, the CAEL surname also appeared in Scotland, likely due to Irish migration and settlement. A notable Scottish bearer of the name was Alasdair Cael, a soldier who fought in the Jacobite Risings of the early 1700s.

Other notable individuals with the CAEL surname include:

1. Máire Cael (1892-1975), an Irish writer and poet from County Mayo.
2. Seán Cael (1910-1987), an Irish Republican and member of the Irish Volunteers during the Irish War of Independence.
3. Eoin Cael (1927-2002), an Irish linguist and scholar of the Gaelic languages, born in County Donegal.
4. Siobhán Cael (1942-2015), an Irish actress and playwright, known for her work in Irish-language theater.
5. Ciarán Cael (born 1976), a contemporary Irish author and journalist from County Galway.

While the CAEL surname has its roots in Ireland and Scotland, it has since spread to various parts of the world due to immigration and diaspora communities.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Cael

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Cael.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Cael was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Cael has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Cael was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Cael, please contact us.

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