2000
#7,544
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,066
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.51
Rare Last name
Caine
A surname of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic byname "O Catháin," meaning "descendant of Cathán" (a warrior).
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,864 Americans carry the last name Caine. That puts it at #7,552 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.42 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 70,468 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Caine 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 Caine with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.9K
1 in 70,468
Census rank
#7,552
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,242 bearers of the surname Caine in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.42 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7552nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Caine, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.7%. The next largest groups are Black (25.8%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Caine
The surname CAINE has its origins in England, emerging in the medieval period around the 12th century. It is derived from the Old French word "caine," which means "cane" or "walking stick." This name was likely given as a descriptive surname to someone who used a cane or walking stick, perhaps due to a disability or advanced age.
The earliest recorded instance of the name CAINE can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from the year 1166, where a person named Roger Caine is mentioned. These rolls were financial records maintained by the Exchequer of the English Crown, indicating that individuals bearing this surname were present in northern England during the 12th century.
In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as Cayne, Caigne, and Kayne, reflecting the variations in spelling common during that era. One notable early bearer of the name was John de Caine, who was recorded in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire in 1275. These rolls were administrative records documenting land ownership and taxation.
The CAINE surname is also linked to several place names in England, particularly in the counties of Derbyshire and Lincolnshire. For instance, there is a village called Caine in Derbyshire, which may have influenced the surname's development or been influenced by it.
Throughout history, several individuals with the surname CAINE have achieved notable recognition. One of the earliest was Sir Thomas Caine (1505-1570), an English merchant and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1553. Another prominent figure was Michael Caine (born 1933), the renowned English actor known for his roles in films such as "The Italian Job" and "The Dark Knight."
Other notable individuals with the CAINE surname include:
1. Sir Thomas Caine (1645-1711), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Newton.
2. John Caine (1773-1858), a British naval officer and explorer who surveyed parts of the Australian coastline.
3. Hall Caine (1853-1931), a British novelist and playwright, best known for his novel "The Bondman."
4. Thomas Henry Caine (1853-1925), a British politician and writer who served as a Member of Parliament for North-West Manchester.
5. Derwent Hall Caine (1862-1946), a British author and politician, the son of Hall Caine.
The surname CAINE has a rich history rooted in medieval England, with its origins possibly stemming from a descriptive nickname related to the use of a walking stick. Over the centuries, the name has been associated with various geographic locations, historical records, and notable individuals who have contributed to various fields.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Caine
Among Census respondents with the surname Caine, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.7%. The next largest groups are Black (25.8%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Caine 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 Caine surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White65.7% · 2,788
- Black or African American25.8% · 1,095
- Two or more races4.5% · 193
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 118
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 32
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 16
Timeline
Historical Census data for Caine
Caine 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
#7,647
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,343
+277 bearers (+6.8%)
Per 100,000 1.47
Rank movement Down 103 places
2020
#7,552
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,242
-101 bearers (-2.3%)
Per 100,000 1.42
Rank movement Up 95 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,544 | 4,066 | 1.51 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,647 | 4,343 | 1.47 | +277 bearers (+6.8%) | Down 103 places |
| 2020 | #7,552 | 4,242 | 1.42 | -101 bearers (-2.3%) | Up 95 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 Caine 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 | #7,647 | #7,552 | 1.2% |
| Count | 4,343 | 4,242 | -2.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.47 | 1.42 | -3.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Caine bearers went from 4,343 to 4,242 (-2.3% change). The surname moved up 95 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,647 to #7,552.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Caine
FAQ
Caine surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Caine?
Name Census estimates that about 4,864 living Americans carry the surname Caine. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 70,468 residents.
How common is Caine?
Caine ranks #7,552 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.42 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 4,242 people with the surname Caine. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,864), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.42 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.42 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 Caine.
Has Caine become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Caine went from 4,343 recorded bearers to 4,242. That is a decrease of 101 (-2.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #7,647 to #7,552.
What does the Census say about the background of Caine?
Among Census respondents with the surname Caine, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.7%. The next largest groups are Black (25.8%) and Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Caine in the 2020 Census, accounting for 65.7% (2,788 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Caine appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (65.7%), Black (25.8%), Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Caine (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 Caine mean?
A surname of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic byname "O Catháin," meaning "descendant of Cathán" (a warrior). 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 Caine (1.42 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 Caine?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.