2010
#151,532
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Cairel
A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic word "càrn" meaning cairn or rocky hill.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Cairel. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cairel 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
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Cairel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cairel, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 52.9%. The next largest groups are White (37.0%) and Hispanic (7.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cairel
The surname CAIREL has its origins in the United Kingdom, specifically in the region of Scotland. It is believed to have emerged during the 12th century, when the use of hereditary surnames became more widespread in that area. The name is thought to be derived from the Gaelic words "cair" and "ail," which translate to "rock" and "cliff" respectively.
The earliest known record of the CAIREL surname dates back to the year 1214, when a person named William CAIREL was mentioned in the Scottish Exchequer Rolls. This document was a record of financial transactions and accounts kept by the Scottish government during that time period. It is likely that William CAIREL resided in or near a rocky, cliff-like area, which led to the adoption of this surname.
In the 14th century, the CAIREL surname appeared in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a collection of written submissions by Scottish nobles and landowners pledging allegiance to King Edward I of England. This document serves as an important historical record of Scottish families and their locations during that era.
One notable figure bearing the CAIREL surname was Sir John CAIREL, a Scottish knight who lived in the late 13th century. He was a prominent landowner and played a role in the Scottish Wars of Independence against England. Unfortunately, specific dates of his birth and death are not widely recorded.
Another individual of note was Robert CAIREL, a merchant and trader who lived in Aberdeen, Scotland, in the early 16th century. He was involved in the lucrative trade of exporting Scottish goods, such as wool and fish, to continental Europe. Records indicate that Robert CAIREL was born around 1480 and died in 1542.
In the 17th century, the CAIREL surname appeared in the Parish Records of Kilmarnock, a town in East Ayrshire, Scotland. These records document the baptisms, marriages, and burials of local residents, providing valuable insights into the lives and family histories of those who bore the CAIREL name.
One of the earliest known instances of the CAIREL surname being associated with a place name was in the village of Cairelton, located in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. This village likely derived its name from the presence of a prominent CAIREL family in the area during the Middle Ages.
Throughout the centuries, the CAIREL surname has undergone various spelling variations, including Cairle, Cairell, Cairill, and Cairill. These variations were common in historical records due to inconsistencies in spelling and pronunciation, as well as regional differences in language and dialect.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cairel
Among Census respondents with the surname Cairel, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 52.9%. The next largest groups are White (37.0%) and Hispanic (7.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Cairel 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 Cairel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander52.9% · 63
- White37.0% · 44
- Hispanic or Latino7.6% · 9
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cairel
Cairel appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
+11 bearers (+10.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 8,744 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #151,532 | 108 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | +11 bearers (+10.2%) | Up 8,744 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 Cairel 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 | #151,532 | #142,788 | 5.8% |
| Count | 108 | 119 | 10.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cairel bearers went from 108 to 119 (+10.2% change). The surname moved up 8,744 positions in the national ranking, going from #151,532 to #142,788.
FAQ
Cairel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cairel?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Cairel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Cairel?
Cairel ranks #142,788 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 119 people with the surname Cairel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), 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 Cairel.
Has Cairel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cairel went from 108 recorded bearers to 119. That is an increase of 11 (+10.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #151,532 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Cairel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cairel, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 52.9%. The next largest groups are White (37.0%) and Hispanic (7.6%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Cairel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 52.9% (63 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cairel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (52.9%), White (37.0%), Hispanic (7.6%). 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 Cairel (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 Cairel mean?
A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic word "càrn" meaning cairn or rocky hill. 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 Cairel (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 Cairel?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.