2000
#134,929
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Cahalin
A surname of Irish origin likely derived from Ó Cathail meaning "descendant of Cathal".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Cahalin. That puts it at #142,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,483,727 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cahalin 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 Cahalin with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
138
1 in 2,483,727
Census rank
#142,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
120
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 120 bearers of the surname Cahalin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cahalin, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cahalin
The surname CAHALIN originates from Ireland, specifically from the Gaelic language spoken in the medieval period. It is derived from the Irish Gaelic word "cathán," which means "little battler" or "little warrior." This suggests that the name may have been initially given as a nickname to someone known for their feisty or combative nature.
The earliest recorded instances of the CAHALIN surname can be traced back to the 16th century in County Cork, Ireland. In 1598, a document referred to a landowner named Dermot Cahalin, who held property in the parish of Kilmichael. This suggests that the name had already been established in the region by that time.
Another notable early reference to the CAHALIN name is found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the early 17th century. In 1604, the annals mention a man named Brian Cahalin, who was involved in a conflict between rival Irish clans.
Over the centuries, the surname CAHALIN has been subject to various spelling variations, including Cahalan, Cahalin, Cahalen, and Cahillon. These variations likely arose due to the translation of the Irish Gaelic name into English and the inconsistencies in record-keeping practices.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the CAHALIN surname was Diarmaid Cahalin, born around 1620 in County Cork. He was a prominent landowner and local chieftain who played a role in the Irish Confederate Wars of the 1640s.
Another notable figure was Seán Cahalin (1730-1819), a renowned Irish harper and composer from County Limerick. He was considered one of the last great traditional Irish harpers and helped preserve the ancient bardic traditions of Ireland.
In the 19th century, John Cahalin (1853-1932) was a prominent Irish-American lawyer and politician from New York City. He served as a member of the New York State Assembly and was involved in various legal and political initiatives.
Bridget Cahalin (1874-1948), born in County Mayo, Ireland, was a notable figure in the Irish emigrant community in London, England. She was a prominent activist and advocate for Irish cultural preservation and women's rights.
Finally, Joseph Cahalin (1920-2008) was a distinguished Irish-American writer and academic. Born in Philadelphia, he taught English literature at several universities and published numerous works of poetry, fiction, and literary criticism.
While the CAHALIN surname may not be among the most common in Ireland or worldwide, it has a rich history deeply rooted in Irish culture and tradition, reflecting the resilience and spirit of those who bore this name over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cahalin
Among Census respondents with the surname Cahalin, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Cahalin 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 Cahalin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.0% · 114
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cahalin
Cahalin 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
#146,201
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
-2 bearers (-1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 11,272 places
2020
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
+7 bearers (+6.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 4,152 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,929 | 115 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #146,201 | 113 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.7%) | Down 11,272 places |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | +7 bearers (+6.2%) | Up 4,152 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 Cahalin 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 | #146,201 | #142,049 | 2.8% |
| Count | 113 | 120 | 6.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cahalin bearers went from 113 to 120 (+6.2% change). The surname moved up 4,152 positions in the national ranking, going from #146,201 to #142,049.
FAQ
Cahalin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cahalin?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Cahalin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Cahalin?
Cahalin ranks #142,049 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 120 people with the surname Cahalin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (138), 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 Cahalin.
Has Cahalin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cahalin went from 113 recorded bearers to 120. That is an increase of 7 (+6.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #146,201 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Cahalin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cahalin, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%). 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 Cahalin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.0% (114 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cahalin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.0%), Hispanic (1.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%). 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 Cahalin (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 Cahalin mean?
A surname of Irish origin likely derived from Ó Cathail meaning "descendant of Cathal". 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 Cahalin (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 Americans have the surname Cahalin?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.