2000
#10,217
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,895
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.07
Rare Last name
Caffey
An Anglicized form of the Irish surname "O'Coffey," derived from the Gaelic "O Cobhthaigh," meaning "descendant of Cobhthach."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,278 Americans carry the last name Caffey. That puts it at #10,674 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.96 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 104,562 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Caffey 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
3.3K
1 in 104,562
Census rank
#10,674
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,859 bearers of the surname Caffey in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.96 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10674th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Caffey, the largest self-reported group is White at 56.7%. The next largest groups are Black (34.2%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Caffey
The surname "Caffey" is believed to have originated in England, with roots tracing back to the medieval period. One of the earliest recorded instances of this name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Caffey" or "Caffay," possibly derived from an Old English word meaning "a place near a stream."
In the 12th century, the name "Caffey" was primarily concentrated in the counties of Staffordshire and Warwickshire, where it was often associated with small villages or manors located near rivers or streams. Notable figures from this era include Sir Robert Caffey, a knight who fought in the Third Crusade (1189-1192), and William Caffey, a landowner mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of 1194.
As the centuries passed, the spelling of the name evolved, with variations such as "Caffie," "Caffaye," and "Caffaye" appearing in various records. One of the earliest documented instances of the modern spelling "Caffey" can be found in the Parish Registers of St. Mary's Church in Warwick, dated 1568, where a certain John Caffey was recorded as a resident.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Caffey name gained prominence in the English counties of Cheshire and Lancashire. Notable figures from this period include Sir Edward Caffey (1547-1624), a wealthy landowner and member of the Parliament of England, and Margaret Caffey (1592-1663), a pioneering writer and poet whose works explored themes of nature and spirituality.
In the 18th century, the Caffey family established roots in the American colonies, with several members emigrating from England to the New World. One of the earliest recorded Caffeys in America was Thomas Caffey (1710-1782), who settled in Virginia and became a prosperous tobacco farmer.
As the 19th century dawned, the Caffey name continued to spread across the United States, with families settling in various regions, including the Deep South and the Midwest. Notable figures from this era include Captain James Caffey (1801-1875), a naval officer who served in the War of 1812, and Sarah Caffey (1823-1901), a prominent educator and advocate for women's rights.
Throughout its long and varied history, the surname "Caffey" has been borne by numerous individuals who have left their mark on various fields, including politics, literature, military service, and social reform. While the name's origins may be rooted in the English countryside, its legacy has spanned continents and centuries, reflecting the rich tapestry of human experience.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Caffey
Among Census respondents with the surname Caffey, the largest self-reported group is White at 56.7%. The next largest groups are Black (34.2%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Caffey 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 Caffey surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White56.7% · 1,620
- Black or African American34.2% · 978
- Two or more races4.6% · 131
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 98
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 18
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 14
Timeline
Historical Census data for Caffey
Caffey 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
#10,751
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,968
+73 bearers (+2.5%)
Per 100,000 1.01
Rank movement Down 534 places
2020
#10,674
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,859
-109 bearers (-3.7%)
Per 100,000 0.96
Rank movement Up 77 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,217 | 2,895 | 1.07 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,751 | 2,968 | 1.01 | +73 bearers (+2.5%) | Down 534 places |
| 2020 | #10,674 | 2,859 | 0.96 | -109 bearers (-3.7%) | Up 77 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 Caffey 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 | #10,751 | #10,674 | 0.7% |
| Count | 2,968 | 2,859 | -3.7% |
| Per 100K | 1.01 | 0.96 | -5.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Caffey bearers went from 2,968 to 2,859 (-3.7% change). The surname moved up 77 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,751 to #10,674.
FAQ
Caffey surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Caffey?
Name Census estimates that about 3,278 living Americans carry the surname Caffey. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 104,562 residents.
How common is Caffey?
Caffey ranks #10,674 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.96 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 2,859 people with the surname Caffey. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,278), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.96 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.96 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 Caffey.
Has Caffey become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Caffey went from 2,968 recorded bearers to 2,859. That is a decrease of 109 (-3.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #10,751 to #10,674.
What does the Census say about the background of Caffey?
Among Census respondents with the surname Caffey, the largest self-reported group is White at 56.7%. The next largest groups are Black (34.2%) and Two or More Races (4.6%). 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 Caffey in the 2020 Census, accounting for 56.7% (1,620 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Caffey appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (56.7%), Black (34.2%), Two or More Races (4.6%). 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 Caffey (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 Caffey mean?
An Anglicized form of the Irish surname "O'Coffey," derived from the Gaelic "O Cobhthaigh," meaning "descendant of Cobhthach." 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 Caffey (0.96 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 Caffey?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.