2000
#7,817
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,924
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.45
Rare Last name
Caplan
A Jewish occupational surname derived from the Yiddish word "kaplan," meaning "chaplain" or "priest."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,297 Americans carry the last name Caplan. That puts it at #8,458 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.25 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 79,766 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Caplan 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 Caplan with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.3K
1 in 79,766
Census rank
#8,458
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,747 bearers of the surname Caplan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.25 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8458th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Caplan, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Caplan
The surname Caplan has its origins in the Jewish communities of Eastern Europe, particularly in Russia and Ukraine. It is believed to have derived from the Yiddish word "kaplan," which means "chaplain" or "rabbi's assistant." This suggests that the name was likely first adopted by individuals who served in synagogues or had religious roles within their communities.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Caplan can be traced back to the late 18th century and early 19th century in various census records and official documents from the Russian Empire. During this period, many Jewish families were required to adopt surnames, and Caplan became a popular choice.
One notable historical reference to the name Caplan is found in the memoirs of Nikolai Gogol, the famous Russian writer. In his work "Dead Souls," Gogol mentions a character named Caplan, suggesting that the name was already well-established in Russia by the early 19th century.
As the Jewish population of Eastern Europe migrated westward, the name Caplan spread across Europe and eventually to other parts of the world. Some variations of the spelling include Kaplin, Kaplan, and Caplain, reflecting the diverse linguistic and cultural influences encountered during this migration.
Among the notable individuals with the surname Caplan throughout history are:
1. Abraham Isaac Caplan (1853-1915), a Russian-born American rabbi and scholar who served as the Chief Rabbi of Montreal.
2. Harry Caplan (1896-1979), an American businessman and philanthropist who co-founded the Caplan Corporation, a successful retail chain.
3. Lionel Caplan (1914-2009), a South African-born British actor and playwright known for his roles in films such as "The Ipcress File" and "The Spy Who Came in from the Cold."
4. David Caplan (born 1965), a Canadian politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario and held various cabinet positions.
5. Ralph Caplan (1915-2019), an American businessman and philanthropist who co-founded the Caplan Corporation with his brother Harry.
While the surname Caplan has its roots in Eastern Europe, it has since become widely dispersed worldwide, with notable bearers contributing to various fields, including religion, business, entertainment, and politics.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Caplan
Among Census respondents with the surname Caplan, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Caplan 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 Caplan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.3% · 3,460
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 128
- Two or more races2.6% · 98
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 40
- Black or African American0.4% · 16
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Caplan
Caplan 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
#8,263
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,011
+87 bearers (+2.2%)
Per 100,000 1.36
Rank movement Down 446 places
2020
#8,458
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,747
-264 bearers (-6.6%)
Per 100,000 1.25
Rank movement Down 195 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,817 | 3,924 | 1.45 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,263 | 4,011 | 1.36 | +87 bearers (+2.2%) | Down 446 places |
| 2020 | #8,458 | 3,747 | 1.25 | -264 bearers (-6.6%) | Down 195 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 Caplan 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 | #8,263 | #8,458 | -2.4% |
| Count | 4,011 | 3,747 | -6.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.36 | 1.25 | -7.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Caplan bearers went from 4,011 to 3,747 (-6.6% change). The surname moved down 195 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,263 to #8,458.
FAQ
Caplan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Caplan?
Name Census estimates that about 4,297 living Americans carry the surname Caplan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 79,766 residents.
How common is Caplan?
Caplan ranks #8,458 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.25 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 3,747 people with the surname Caplan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,297), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.25 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.25 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 Caplan.
Has Caplan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Caplan went from 4,011 recorded bearers to 3,747. That is a decrease of 264 (-6.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,263 to #8,458.
What does the Census say about the background of Caplan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Caplan, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (2.6%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Caplan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.3% (3,460 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Caplan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.3%), Hispanic (3.4%), Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Caplan (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 Caplan mean?
A Jewish occupational surname derived from the Yiddish word "kaplan," meaning "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 Caplan (1.25 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 are called Caplan?
See how common the surname Caplan is on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.