2000
#11,758
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,441
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.90
Rare Last name
Cape
An English topographic surname for someone who lived near a cape or headland.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,623 Americans carry the last name Cape. That puts it at #12,861 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.77 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 130,673 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cape 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 Cape with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.6K
1 in 130,673
Census rank
#12,861
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,287 bearers of the surname Cape in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.77 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12861st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cape, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cape
The surname CAPE is of English origin, deriving from the Old English word "caep" or "cape," meaning a cloak or hooded garment. It is believed to have originated as an occupational name for a maker or seller of capes and cloaks during the medieval period.
The earliest recorded instances of the CAPE surname can be traced back to the late 12th century in various regions of England, including Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Cambridgeshire. One of the earliest known bearers of this name was Richard Cape, who was listed in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1195.
The CAPE surname has been associated with several notable historical figures throughout the centuries. One prominent example is William Cape, a 16th-century English clergyman and author who served as the Archdeacon of Ely from 1559 until his death in 1615.
Another notable bearer of the CAPE surname was Joseph Cape, a Dutch-born English engraver and artist who lived from 1638 to 1722. He is best known for his engravings of portrait miniatures and landscapes, as well as his etchings of biblical scenes.
In the 18th century, Samuel Cape, a British architect and surveyor, made significant contributions to the development of London's infrastructure. He was responsible for the design and construction of several notable buildings and structures, including the Guildhall in the City of London, which was completed in 1788.
During the 19th century, the CAPE surname gained recognition through the works of Jonathan Cape, a British publisher and founder of the publishing house Jonathan Cape Ltd. Born in 1879, he played a pivotal role in promoting and publishing works by notable authors such as James Joyce, H.G. Wells, and Graham Greene.
Another prominent figure with the CAPE surname was William Cape, a 20th-century British film producer and director. Born in 1898, he was known for his work in the early years of British cinema, directing and producing several notable films, including "The Crimson Circle" (1936) and "The Rat" (1937).
While the CAPE surname has its roots in England, it has since spread to various parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, where descendants of English immigrants have carried on the name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cape
Among Census respondents with the surname Cape, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Cape 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 Cape surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.5% · 2,023
- Hispanic or Latino4.2% · 96
- Two or more races2.9% · 66
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.3% · 53
- Black or African American1.5% · 34
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 15
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cape
Cape 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
#11,971
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,609
+168 bearers (+6.9%)
Per 100,000 0.88
Rank movement Down 213 places
2020
#12,861
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,287
-322 bearers (-12.3%)
Per 100,000 0.77
Rank movement Down 890 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,758 | 2,441 | 0.90 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,971 | 2,609 | 0.88 | +168 bearers (+6.9%) | Down 213 places |
| 2020 | #12,861 | 2,287 | 0.77 | -322 bearers (-12.3%) | Down 890 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 Cape 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 | #11,971 | #12,861 | -7.4% |
| Count | 2,609 | 2,287 | -12.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.88 | 0.77 | -13.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cape bearers went from 2,609 to 2,287 (-12.3% change). The surname moved down 890 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,971 to #12,861.
FAQ
Cape surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cape?
Name Census estimates that about 2,623 living Americans carry the surname Cape. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 130,673 residents.
How common is Cape?
Cape ranks #12,861 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.77 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 2,287 people with the surname Cape. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,623), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.77 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.77 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 Cape.
Has Cape become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cape went from 2,609 recorded bearers to 2,287. That is a decrease of 322 (-12.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,971 to #12,861.
What does the Census say about the background of Cape?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cape, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Cape in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.5% (2,023 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cape appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.5%), Hispanic (4.2%), Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Cape (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 Cape mean?
An English topographic surname for someone who lived near a cape or headland. 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 Cape (0.77 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 last name Cape?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Cape on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.