2000
#24,807
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 942
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.35
Rare Last name
Capshaw
A surname possibly derived from the old English "capeshaw", referring to a dweller by the wood's edge.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,046 Americans carry the last name Capshaw. That puts it at #27,910 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.31 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 327,681 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Capshaw 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
1.0K
1 in 327,681
Census rank
#27,910
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
912
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 912 bearers of the surname Capshaw in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.31 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 27910th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Capshaw, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.8%) and Two or More Races (5.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Capshaw
The surname Capshaw is of English origin, deriving from the Old English words "cæppe" meaning a cape or cloak, and "sceaga" meaning a small wood or grove. It is believed to have originated as a locational name, referring to someone who lived near a wooded area or grove where travellers often stopped to rest and take shelter under their capes or cloaks.
The earliest known record of the name Capshaw dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Capescoh" in the county of Lincolnshire. This entry suggests that the name was already established in England by the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066.
In the 13th century, the name was recorded as "Capshaghe" in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire, indicating that the name had spread to different parts of England by that time. The spelling variations continued, with "Capshaw" and "Capshowe" appearing in various records over the following centuries.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name was John Capshaw, a landowner from Derbyshire, who was mentioned in the Hundred Rolls of 1273. Another notable figure was Richard Capshaw, a merchant from London, who was recorded in the city's guild records in the late 15th century.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name Capshaw was particularly prevalent in the northern counties of England, such as Lancashire and Yorkshire. One notable bearer was William Capshaw (1560-1624), a renowned poet and playwright from Yorkshire, who is known for his work "The Shepherd's Garland."
In the 18th century, the name spread to other parts of England, and several Capshaws were recorded in parish records across the country. One notable figure was James Capshaw (1734-1801), a successful businessman and landowner from Gloucestershire.
As the centuries passed, the name Capshaw continued to be found in various parts of England, with some bearers migrating to other parts of the British Isles and beyond. Among the notable Capshaws in more recent history was Sir John Capshaw (1812-1891), a prominent politician and diplomat who served as the British Ambassador to Russia in the late 19th century.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Capshaw
Among Census respondents with the surname Capshaw, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.8%) and Two or More Races (5.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Capshaw 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 Capshaw surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White80.5% · 734
- Hispanic or Latino6.8% · 62
- Two or more races5.9% · 54
- Black or African American4.4% · 40
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.8% · 16
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Capshaw
Capshaw 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
#25,332
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 977
+35 bearers (+3.7%)
Per 100,000 0.33
Rank movement Down 525 places
2020
#27,910
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 912
-65 bearers (-6.7%)
Per 100,000 0.31
Rank movement Down 2,578 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #24,807 | 942 | 0.35 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #25,332 | 977 | 0.33 | +35 bearers (+3.7%) | Down 525 places |
| 2020 | #27,910 | 912 | 0.31 | -65 bearers (-6.7%) | Down 2,578 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 Capshaw 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 | #25,332 | #27,910 | -10.2% |
| Count | 977 | 912 | -6.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.33 | 0.31 | -7.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Capshaw bearers went from 977 to 912 (-6.7% change). The surname moved down 2,578 positions in the national ranking, going from #25,332 to #27,910.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Capshaw
FAQ
Capshaw surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Capshaw?
Name Census estimates that about 1,046 living Americans carry the surname Capshaw. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 327,681 residents.
How common is Capshaw?
Capshaw ranks #27,910 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.31 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 912 people with the surname Capshaw. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,046), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.31 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.31 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 Capshaw.
Has Capshaw become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Capshaw went from 977 recorded bearers to 912. That is a decrease of 65 (-6.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #25,332 to #27,910.
What does the Census say about the background of Capshaw?
Among Census respondents with the surname Capshaw, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.8%) and Two or More Races (5.9%). 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 Capshaw in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.5% (734 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Capshaw appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (80.5%), Hispanic (6.8%), Two or More Races (5.9%). 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 Capshaw (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 Capshaw mean?
A surname possibly derived from the old English "capeshaw", referring to a dweller by the wood's edge. 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 Capshaw (0.31 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 Capshaw?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Capshaw, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.