2000
#6,683
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,660
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.73
Rare Last name
Cahoon
A Cornish surname derived from the place name Cahon, meaning "a ravine or deep valley."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,276 Americans carry the last name Cahoon. That puts it at #7,035 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.54 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 64,965 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cahoon 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 Cahoon with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.3K
1 in 64,965
Census rank
#7,035
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,601 bearers of the surname Cahoon in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.54 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7035th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cahoon, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Hispanic (2.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cahoon
The surname Cahoon has its origins in Ireland and is believed to have originated from the Gaelic word "cathún," which means "little cat." This moniker was likely bestowed upon someone who possessed feline-like characteristics or had an affinity for cats.
The earliest known record of the name Cahoon dates back to the 16th century in County Antrim, Ireland. It is believed that the name may have been anglicized from the Irish Gaelic spelling "Ó Catháin" or "Mac Catháin," meaning "descendant of Cathán."
One of the earliest documented references to the name can be found in the Annals of Ulster, an ancient chronicle that recorded events in Ireland from the 5th to the 16th century. The annals mention a Niall Ó Catháin, who was a prominent chieftain in the 14th century.
In the 17th century, during the plantation of Ulster, many Irish families with the surname Cahoon were displaced and forced to migrate to other parts of Ireland, as well as to Scotland and the American colonies.
One notable bearer of the Cahoon name was Robert Cahoon (1750-1838), an American Revolutionary War soldier from Virginia. He fought in several key battles, including the Battle of Brandywine and the Battle of Monmouth.
Another prominent figure was Daniel Cahoon (1766-1848), a sea captain from Massachusetts who played a crucial role in the War of 1812. He commanded several privateers and captured numerous British ships during the conflict.
In the realm of literature, Mary Cahoon (1833-1911) was a renowned American poet and writer from Vermont. Her works often focused on rural life and the natural beauty of her home state.
The name Cahoon has also been associated with various place names, such as Cahoon Hollow in New York and Cahoon Memorial Park in Ohio, which were named after early settlers or landowners bearing the surname.
Furthermore, variations of the name, such as Cahoon, Cahoon, and Cahoun, can be found throughout historical records, reflecting the evolution and adaptation of the name across different regions and cultures.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cahoon
Among Census respondents with the surname Cahoon, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Hispanic (2.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Cahoon 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 Cahoon surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.1% · 4,192
- Two or more races3.3% · 150
- Hispanic or Latino2.3% · 104
- Black or African American1.9% · 87
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 35
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 33
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cahoon
Cahoon 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
#6,918
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,849
+189 bearers (+4.1%)
Per 100,000 1.64
Rank movement Down 235 places
2020
#7,035
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,601
-248 bearers (-5.1%)
Per 100,000 1.54
Rank movement Down 117 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,683 | 4,660 | 1.73 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,918 | 4,849 | 1.64 | +189 bearers (+4.1%) | Down 235 places |
| 2020 | #7,035 | 4,601 | 1.54 | -248 bearers (-5.1%) | Down 117 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 Cahoon 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 | #6,918 | #7,035 | -1.7% |
| Count | 4,849 | 4,601 | -5.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.64 | 1.54 | -6.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cahoon bearers went from 4,849 to 4,601 (-5.1% change). The surname moved down 117 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,918 to #7,035.
FAQ
Cahoon surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cahoon?
Name Census estimates that about 5,276 living Americans carry the surname Cahoon. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 64,965 residents.
How common is Cahoon?
Cahoon ranks #7,035 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.54 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,601 people with the surname Cahoon. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,276), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.54 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.54 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Cahoon.
Has Cahoon become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cahoon went from 4,849 recorded bearers to 4,601. That is a decrease of 248 (-5.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,918 to #7,035.
What does the Census say about the background of Cahoon?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cahoon, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Hispanic (2.3%). 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 Cahoon in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.1% (4,192 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cahoon appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.1%), Two or More Races (3.3%), Hispanic (2.3%). 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 Cahoon (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 Cahoon mean?
A Cornish surname derived from the place name Cahon, meaning "a ravine or deep valley." 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 Cahoon (1.54 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 share the surname Cahoon?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.