2000
#36,531
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 578
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.21
Very Rare Last name
Cardiff
A surname of Welsh origin likely referring to someone from the city of Cardiff.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 740 Americans carry the last name Cardiff. That puts it at #37,174 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.22 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 463,182 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cardiff 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 Cardiff with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
740
1 in 463,182
Census rank
#37,174
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
645
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 645 bearers of the surname Cardiff in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.22 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 37174th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cardiff, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cardiff
The surname Cardiff originates from Wales, with its earliest known records dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Welsh place name "Caerdydd," which means "fort on the river." The name is closely associated with the city of Cardiff, the capital of Wales, which was originally a Roman settlement called "Caer-Didi."
Cardiff is believed to have been first used as a surname by individuals who hailed from the city or surrounding areas. One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1195, which mentions a "Roger de Kardif."
In the Middle Ages, the surname was occasionally spelled as "Cardyff," "Kardif," or "Kardyff," reflecting the variations in pronunciation and spelling that were common during that era. The name is also found in other medieval records, such as the Feet of Fines for Warwickshire in 1347, which references a "William Cardyff."
Notable individuals with the surname Cardiff include Sir Robert Cardiff (c. 1475-1545), a Welsh politician and landowner who served as Sheriff of Glamorganshire in the early 16th century. Another prominent figure was Sir Thomas Cardiff (1560-1626), a Welsh lawyer and judge who served as Chief Justice of the Carmarthen Circuit.
In the 18th century, John Cardiff (1724-1798) was a Welsh clergyman and author who wrote several works on Welsh history and literature. His contemporary, William Cardiff (1738-1818), was a Welsh Anglican priest and poet, known for his odes and elegies in the Welsh language.
One of the most celebrated individuals with the surname was the Welsh actress and singer Dorothy Cardiff (1888-1964), who gained fame on the stage and in early Hollywood films during the early 20th century.
While the surname Cardiff is relatively uncommon outside of Wales, it remains an important part of Welsh cultural heritage, reflecting the long history and significance of the city from which it derives its name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cardiff
Among Census respondents with the surname Cardiff, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Cardiff 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 Cardiff surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.0% · 587
- Hispanic or Latino4.5% · 29
- Two or more races2.5% · 16
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 8
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 3
- Black or African American0.3% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cardiff
Cardiff 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
#42,455
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 511
-67 bearers (-11.6%)
Per 100,000 0.17
Rank movement Down 5,924 places
2020
#37,174
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 645
+134 bearers (+26.2%)
Per 100,000 0.22
Rank movement Up 5,281 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #36,531 | 578 | 0.21 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #42,455 | 511 | 0.17 | -67 bearers (-11.6%) | Down 5,924 places |
| 2020 | #37,174 | 645 | 0.22 | +134 bearers (+26.2%) | Up 5,281 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 Cardiff 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 | #42,455 | #37,174 | 12.4% |
| Count | 511 | 645 | 26.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.17 | 0.22 | 26.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cardiff bearers went from 511 to 645 (+26.2% change). The surname moved up 5,281 positions in the national ranking, going from #42,455 to #37,174.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Cardiff
FAQ
Cardiff surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cardiff?
Name Census estimates that about 740 living Americans carry the surname Cardiff. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 463,182 residents.
How common is Cardiff?
Cardiff ranks #37,174 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.22 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 645 people with the surname Cardiff. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (740), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.22 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.22 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 Cardiff.
Has Cardiff become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cardiff went from 511 recorded bearers to 645. That is an increase of 134 (+26.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #42,455 to #37,174.
What does the Census say about the background of Cardiff?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cardiff, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Cardiff in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.0% (587 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cardiff appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.0%), Hispanic (4.5%), Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Cardiff (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 Cardiff mean?
A surname of Welsh origin likely referring to someone from the city of Cardiff. 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 Cardiff (0.22 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 Cardiff?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the last name Cardiff at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.