2000
#147,095
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Caetta
A surname of Italian origin, meaning "chestnut brown" or "brown-haired."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Caetta. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Caetta 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
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Caetta in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Caetta, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.6%) and Hispanic (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Caetta
The surname CAETTA originates from Italy, specifically the region of Calabria in the south of the country. The name is believed to have emerged during the Middle Ages, sometime around the 12th or 13th century.
CAETTA is thought to be derived from the Latin word "catena," which means "chain" or "fetter." It's possible that the name was initially given as a nickname or descriptive term to someone who worked with chains or fetters, such as a blacksmith or a jailer.
Alternatively, the name could have its roots in the Italian word "catena," which can also refer to a mountain chain or a series of connected hills. In this case, the name may have been given to someone who lived near or worked in a mountainous area.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname CAETTA can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Cavensis, a collection of medieval documents from the Campania region of Italy, dating back to the 11th century. The name appears in several entries, indicating its presence in the area during that time.
In the 14th century, a man named Antonio CAETTA was recorded as a landowner in the town of Cosenza, Calabria. His son, Niccolò CAETTA, was a respected scholar and diplomat who served as an ambassador for the Kingdom of Naples in the late 15th century.
Another notable figure with the surname CAETTA was Giovanni CAETTA, a renowned painter from Naples who lived in the 16th century. His works can be found in churches and museums throughout Italy, including the Museo di Capodimonte in Naples.
During the 17th century, a family with the surname CAETTA owned a successful wine-making business in the Calabrian town of Lamezia Terme. Their vineyards and winery were highly regarded in the region, and their wines were exported to other parts of Italy and Europe.
In the 19th century, a man named Vincenzo CAETTA was a prominent lawyer and politician in Calabria. He played a significant role in the Italian unification movement and was elected to the first Italian Parliament after the country's unification in 1861.
These are just a few examples of individuals with the surname CAETTA who have left their mark on history in various fields, from art and diplomacy to business and politics. The name's rich heritage and deep roots in southern Italy continue to be a source of pride for those who bear it today.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Caetta
Among Census respondents with the surname Caetta, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.6%) and Hispanic (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Caetta 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 Caetta surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.7% · 97
- Two or more races5.6% · 6
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Caetta
Caetta 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
#152,628
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
+4 bearers (+3.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,533 places
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 989 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #147,095 | 103 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #152,628 | 107 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.9%) | Down 5,533 places |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Up 989 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 Caetta 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 | #152,628 | #151,639 | 0.6% |
| Count | 107 | 107 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Caetta bearers went from 107 to 107 (+0.0% change). The surname moved up 989 positions in the national ranking, going from #152,628 to #151,639.
FAQ
Caetta surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Caetta?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Caetta. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Caetta?
Caetta ranks #151,639 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 107 people with the surname Caetta. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), 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 Caetta.
Has Caetta become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Caetta went from 107 recorded bearers to 107. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #152,628 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Caetta?
Among Census respondents with the surname Caetta, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.6%) and Hispanic (1.9%). 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 Caetta in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.7% (97 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Caetta appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.7%), Two or More Races (5.6%), Hispanic (1.9%). 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 Caetta (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 Caetta mean?
A surname of Italian origin, meaning "chestnut brown" or "brown-haired." 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 Caetta (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 many people have the surname Caetta?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.