2000
#140,756
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Cappelen
A locational surname originating from Cappelen, Norway.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 118 Americans carry the last name Cappelen. That puts it at #154,182 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,904,698 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cappelen 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
118
1 in 2,904,698
Census rank
#154,182
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
103
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 103 bearers of the surname Cappelen in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154182nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cappelen, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cappelen
The surname "CAPPELEN" is of Norwegian origin, dating back to the 17th century. It is believed to have originated from the Scandinavian word "kapall," which means "horse" or "nag." This suggests that the name may have been derived from an occupation or location related to horses or horse breeding.
The earliest recorded use of the name "CAPPELEN" can be traced back to the village of Cappelen in the municipality of Oppegård, located in the Akershus county of Norway. It is likely that the name was initially used as a toponymic surname, referring to the place of residence or origin of the family.
In the late 17th century, records show a Johan Cappelen, born around 1650, who was a prominent landowner and farmer in the Oppegård area. He is believed to be one of the earliest known individuals to bear the surname "CAPPELEN."
Another notable figure with this surname was Christian Ancher Cappelen (1779-1857), a Norwegian politician and jurist. He played a significant role in the drafting of the Norwegian Constitution and served as the Minister of Justice and Police from 1814 to 1822.
The surname "CAPPELEN" can also be found in historical records from the 18th and 19th centuries, such as church registers and census records, primarily concentrated in the eastern regions of Norway.
In the late 19th century, Jørgen Wright Cappelen (1864-1936) was a Norwegian industrialist and businessman. He founded the company J.W. Cappelens Forlag, which became one of Norway's largest publishing houses.
Throughout the 20th century, the "CAPPELEN" surname gained further recognition with individuals like Kjell Cappelen (1929-2007), a Norwegian economist and politician who served as the Minister of Finance from 1973 to 1979.
While the surname "CAPPELEN" is primarily associated with Norway, it has also been found in other Nordic countries, such as Sweden and Denmark, likely due to migration and intermarriage between these regions over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cappelen
Among Census respondents with the surname Cappelen, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Cappelen 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 Cappelen surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.3% · 93
- Hispanic or Latino4.9% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 2
- Two or more races1.9% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cappelen
Cappelen 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
#158,432
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
-7 bearers (-6.4%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 17,676 places
2020
#154,182
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
+1 bearers (+1.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 4,250 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #140,756 | 109 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #158,432 | 102 | 0.03 | -7 bearers (-6.4%) | Down 17,676 places |
| 2020 | #154,182 | 103 | 0.03 | +1 bearers (+1.0%) | Up 4,250 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 Cappelen 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 | #158,432 | #154,182 | 2.7% |
| Count | 102 | 103 | 1.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 14.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cappelen bearers went from 102 to 103 (+1.0% change). The surname moved up 4,250 positions in the national ranking, going from #158,432 to #154,182.
FAQ
Cappelen surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cappelen?
Name Census estimates that about 118 living Americans carry the surname Cappelen. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,904,698 residents.
How common is Cappelen?
Cappelen ranks #154,182 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 103 people with the surname Cappelen. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (118), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Cappelen.
Has Cappelen become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cappelen went from 102 recorded bearers to 103. That is an increase of 1 (+1.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #158,432 to #154,182.
What does the Census say about the background of Cappelen?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cappelen, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.9%) 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Cappelen in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.3% (93 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cappelen appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.3%), Hispanic (4.9%), 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 Cappelen (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 Cappelen mean?
A locational surname originating from Cappelen, Norway. 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 Cappelen (0.03 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 Cappelen?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.