Find out how popular the last name Cales is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Cales.

Cales, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Cales surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Cales in America

Cales is the 15104th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Cales surname appeared 1,953 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Cales.

We can also compare 2010 data for Cales to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Cales

The surname Cales is believed to have originated in Spain, derived from the ancient Roman name Calles or Cales. This name is thought to be linked to the Latin word 'callis,' meaning a path or narrow way. The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the 12th century in the region of Andalusia.

During the Middle Ages, the name Cales was predominantly found in southern Spain, particularly in the provinces of Seville, Cordoba, and Granada. Historical records suggest that the name may have been associated with individuals who lived near or maintained paths or routes for travelers and merchants.

In the 14th century, a notable figure named Juan de Cales (c. 1320 - 1390) was a prominent architect and stonemason who contributed to the construction of several notable buildings in Seville, including the Alcázar of Seville and the Cathedral of Seville.

Another individual of historical significance was Diego de Cales (c. 1460 - 1522), a Spanish explorer and conquistador who accompanied Hernán Cortés in the conquest of Mexico. He is credited with being one of the first Europeans to set foot on the shores of what is now Veracruz.

In the 16th century, the name Cales was found in various Spanish archival records, including the Libro de Repartimiento, which documented land grants in the newly conquered territories of the Americas. One such record mentions a certain Pedro Cales, who received a land grant in the region of Guatemala in 1541.

As the Spanish Empire expanded, the surname Cales spread to other parts of Europe and the Americas. In the 18th century, a notable figure was Miguel Cales (1720 - 1792), a Spanish military officer and colonial administrator who served as the governor of Puerto Rico from 1776 to 1781.

Another prominent individual was Fray Andrés Cales (1740 - 1815), a Spanish Franciscan missionary who played a significant role in the evangelization efforts in California during the Spanish colonial period. He founded several missions, including the Mission San Gabriel Arcángel in 1771.

While the surname Cales is not among the most common in the world today, it continues to be found in various parts of Spain, as well as in regions with a significant Spanish cultural influence, such as Latin America and the Philippines.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Cales

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Cales.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Cales was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Cales has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Cales was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Cales, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!