2000
#21,754
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,115
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.41
Rare Last name
Capellan
A surname referring to a chaplain or priest.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,751 Americans carry the last name Capellan. That puts it at #12,365 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.80 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 124,593 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Capellan 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
2.8K
1 in 124,593
Census rank
#12,365
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,399 bearers of the surname Capellan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.80 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12365th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Capellan, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.5%. The next largest groups are White (2.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Capellan
The surname CAPELLAN originated in the Catalonia region of Spain during the medieval period. It is derived from the Catalan word 'capellà', meaning 'chaplain' or 'priest'. This suggests that the name was likely adopted by individuals who served as chaplains or priests in religious institutions.
The earliest recorded instances of the name CAPELLAN can be traced back to the 13th century. One of the earliest known bearers of this surname was Pere Capellà, a notable figure mentioned in historical documents from the city of Barcelona in the year 1284.
During the 14th century, the CAPELLAN surname appears in several records from the Kingdom of Aragon, which encompassed parts of modern-day Spain and France. One such example is Bernat Capellà, a landowner from the town of Lleida, whose name is documented in a land transaction from 1372.
In the 15th century, the name CAPELLAN gained prominence in the neighboring region of Valencia. A notable bearer of this surname during this period was Jaume Capellà, a respected scholar and theologian who served as a professor at the University of Valencia in the late 1400s.
As the CAPELLAN family spread throughout Spain, variations in spelling emerged, such as Capellan, Capellan, and Capellan. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and local pronunciations.
One of the most famous individuals to bear the CAPELLAN surname was Pedro Capellán, a renowned painter and sculptor from the city of Seville, who lived during the 16th century (c. 1500-1570). His artistic works, particularly his religious sculptures, are highly regarded and can be found in several churches and museums across Spain.
Another notable bearer of the CAPELLAN surname was Francisco Capellán, a Spanish soldier and explorer who accompanied the famous conquistador Hernán Cortés on his expeditions to Mexico in the early 16th century (c. 1490-1560).
In the 17th century, the CAPELLAN name gained recognition in the field of literature, with Juan Capellán, a renowned Spanish poet and playwright (c. 1620-1690), who gained acclaim for his works exploring themes of love, honor, and societal values.
As the CAPELLAN surname spread beyond Spain, it was adopted by families in other Spanish-speaking regions, including parts of Latin America and the Caribbean. One notable example is Miguel Capellán, a prominent Cuban writer and journalist from the 19th century (1834-1899), known for his contributions to the island's literary and cultural landscape.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Capellan
Among Census respondents with the surname Capellan, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.5%. The next largest groups are White (2.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Capellan 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 Capellan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino94.5% · 2,268
- White2.5% · 61
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 46
- Black or African American0.8% · 18
- Two or more races0.2% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Capellan
Capellan 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
#15,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,868
+753 bearers (+67.5%)
Per 100,000 0.63
Rank movement Up 6,115 places
2020
#12,365
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,399
+531 bearers (+28.4%)
Per 100,000 0.80
Rank movement Up 3,274 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #21,754 | 1,115 | 0.41 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,639 | 1,868 | 0.63 | +753 bearers (+67.5%) | Up 6,115 places |
| 2020 | #12,365 | 2,399 | 0.80 | +531 bearers (+28.4%) | Up 3,274 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 Capellan 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 | #15,639 | #12,365 | 20.9% |
| Count | 1,868 | 2,399 | 28.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.63 | 0.80 | 27.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Capellan bearers went from 1,868 to 2,399 (+28.4% change). The surname moved up 3,274 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,639 to #12,365.
FAQ
Capellan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Capellan?
Name Census estimates that about 2,751 living Americans carry the surname Capellan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 124,593 residents.
How common is Capellan?
Capellan ranks #12,365 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.80 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 2,399 people with the surname Capellan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,751), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.8 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.80 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 Capellan.
Has Capellan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Capellan went from 1,868 recorded bearers to 2,399. That is an increase of 531 (+28.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #15,639 to #12,365.
What does the Census say about the background of Capellan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Capellan, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.5%. The next largest groups are White (2.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Capellan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.5% (2,268 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Capellan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (94.5%), White (2.5%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%). 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 Capellan (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 Capellan mean?
A surname referring to a chaplain or priest. 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 Capellan (0.80 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 Capellan?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.