2000
#136,783
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Caola
A surname originating in Ireland, meaning "wolf" or "leader of warriors".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 128 Americans carry the last name Caola. That puts it at #147,954 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,677,768 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Caola 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
128
1 in 2,677,768
Census rank
#147,954
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
112
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 112 bearers of the surname Caola in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147954th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Caola, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Caola
The surname CAOLA has its origins in northern Italy, dating back to the medieval period around the 11th century. It is believed to have derived from the Latin word "caulis," meaning cabbage or stalk, indicating that the name may have been associated with those who cultivated or traded in these crops.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name CAOLA can be found in the Codice Diplomatico Longobardo, a collection of historical documents from the Lombard period in Italy, which mentions a certain "Petrus de Caola" in the year 1146. This suggests that the name was already established in the region by that time.
During the 13th century, the CAOLA name appears in various records from the city of Verona, which was a prominent center of trade and commerce in northern Italy. For instance, a certain "Guglielmo CAOLA" is mentioned in a document from 1278, indicating his involvement in the local mercantile activities.
In the 14th century, the name CAOLA gained prominence in the town of Sanguinetto, near Verona. Historical records from this period mention several individuals with this surname, including "Giacomo CAOLA," who was a respected landowner and local official in the year 1352.
One of the earliest known bearers of the CAOLA name was Bartolomeo CAOLA, a renowned painter and fresco artist who lived in the 15th century. Born in Verona around 1420, he is credited with creating numerous works of art that adorned churches and buildings throughout northern Italy.
Another notable figure was Giovanni CAOLA, a scholar and theologian who lived in the 16th century. Born in Sanguinetto in 1522, he studied at the University of Padua and later became a professor of theology at the University of Bologna, where he taught for many years until his death in 1591.
The CAOLA name also has connections to the world of literature. In the 17th century, a poet named Antonio CAOLA gained recognition for his works, including a collection of sonnets published in 1649. He was born in Verona in 1612 and is believed to have been part of a literary circle in that city.
During the 18th century, the CAOLA surname spread beyond northern Italy, with some branches of the family settling in other regions of the country. One notable example is Francesco CAOLA, a military officer born in Naples in 1734, who served in the army of the Kingdom of Naples and distinguished himself in various campaigns.
Throughout the centuries, the CAOLA name has maintained a strong presence in northern Italy, particularly in the regions of Veneto and Lombardy. While the spelling may have undergone minor variations over time, the core of the name has remained intact, reflecting its deep-rooted historical and cultural significance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Caola
Among Census respondents with the surname Caola, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Caola 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 Caola surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.1% · 102
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.7% · 3
- Two or more races1.8% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Caola
Caola 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
#136,449
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
+10 bearers (+8.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 334 places
2020
#147,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
-11 bearers (-8.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 11,505 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #136,783 | 113 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #136,449 | 123 | 0.04 | +10 bearers (+8.8%) | Up 334 places |
| 2020 | #147,954 | 112 | 0.04 | -11 bearers (-8.9%) | Down 11,505 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 Caola 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 | #136,449 | #147,954 | -8.4% |
| Count | 123 | 112 | -8.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Caola bearers went from 123 to 112 (-8.9% change). The surname moved down 11,505 positions in the national ranking, going from #136,449 to #147,954.
FAQ
Caola surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Caola?
Name Census estimates that about 128 living Americans carry the surname Caola. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,677,768 residents.
How common is Caola?
Caola ranks #147,954 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 112 people with the surname Caola. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (128), 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 Caola.
Has Caola become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Caola went from 123 recorded bearers to 112. That is a decrease of 11 (-8.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #136,449 to #147,954.
What does the Census say about the background of Caola?
Among Census respondents with the surname Caola, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.7%). 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 Caola in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.1% (102 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Caola appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.1%), Hispanic (3.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.7%). 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 Caola (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 Caola mean?
A surname originating in Ireland, meaning "wolf" or "leader of warriors". 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 Caola (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 Caola?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.