2000
#9,828
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,035
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.13
Rare Last name
Cardinale
Derived from the Italian word meaning "cardinal," referring to the high-ranking clergy of the Catholic Church.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,389 Americans carry the last name Cardinale. That puts it at #10,368 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.99 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 101,137 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cardinale 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
3.4K
1 in 101,137
Census rank
#10,368
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,955 bearers of the surname Cardinale in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.99 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10368th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cardinale, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.8%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cardinale
The surname Cardinale has its origins in Italy, tracing back to the late medieval period. It is derived from the Italian word "cardinale," which refers to a high-ranking ecclesiastical prince of the Roman Catholic Church. The name likely originated as a nickname or occupational surname for someone associated with a cardinal or the Church hierarchy.
In the 13th and 14th centuries, the name appears in various Italian records and manuscripts, such as the Regesto Camaldolese, a collection of documents from the Camaldolese monastic order. One early recorded instance is Bartolomeo Cardinale, a Florentine merchant mentioned in a 1339 document.
The Cardinale surname is closely linked to the city of Naples, where it has deep roots. One of the earliest known individuals with this name was Francesco Cardinale, a Neapolitan nobleman born around 1450. He served as a diplomat and ambassador for the Kingdom of Naples.
During the Renaissance period, the Cardinale family gained prominence in Naples. Giovan Battista Cardinale (1520-1587) was a renowned Renaissance scholar, philosopher, and poet who wrote extensively on moral and political philosophy.
In the 17th century, the name appears in various records from the Papal States and the Kingdom of Sicily. Gian Domenico Cardinale (1616-1679) was a Sicilian painter known for his religious works and portraits.
Another notable figure was Giuseppe Cardinale (1804-1879), an Italian politician and patriot who played a role in the Risorgimento movement for Italian unification. He served as a member of the Sardinian Parliament and later the Italian Parliament.
Vincenzo Cardinale (1829-1913) was an Italian archaeologist and numismatist who made significant contributions to the study of ancient Roman coins and artifacts. He served as the director of the National Archaeological Museum in Naples.
The surname Cardinale has also been associated with the city of Genoa, where it can be traced back to the 16th century. One prominent individual was Andrea Cardinale (1565-1639), a Genoese admiral and naval commander who played a crucial role in the defense of the Republic of Genoa against the Ottoman Empire.
While these are just a few examples, the Cardinale surname has a rich history in Italy, with many notable individuals bearing this name throughout the centuries, reflecting its ecclesiastical and noble origins.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cardinale
Among Census respondents with the surname Cardinale, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.8%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Cardinale 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 Cardinale surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.6% · 2,648
- Hispanic or Latino7.8% · 231
- Two or more races1.8% · 52
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 19
- Black or African American0.1% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cardinale
Cardinale 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
#9,535
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,409
+374 bearers (+12.3%)
Per 100,000 1.16
Rank movement Up 293 places
2020
#10,368
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,955
-454 bearers (-13.3%)
Per 100,000 0.99
Rank movement Down 833 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,828 | 3,035 | 1.13 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,535 | 3,409 | 1.16 | +374 bearers (+12.3%) | Up 293 places |
| 2020 | #10,368 | 2,955 | 0.99 | -454 bearers (-13.3%) | Down 833 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 Cardinale 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 | #9,535 | #10,368 | -8.7% |
| Count | 3,409 | 2,955 | -13.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.16 | 0.99 | -14.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cardinale bearers went from 3,409 to 2,955 (-13.3% change). The surname moved down 833 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,535 to #10,368.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Cardinale
FAQ
Cardinale surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cardinale?
Name Census estimates that about 3,389 living Americans carry the surname Cardinale. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 101,137 residents.
How common is Cardinale?
Cardinale ranks #10,368 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.99 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 2,955 people with the surname Cardinale. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,389), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.99 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.99 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 Cardinale.
Has Cardinale become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cardinale went from 3,409 recorded bearers to 2,955. That is a decrease of 454 (-13.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,535 to #10,368.
What does the Census say about the background of Cardinale?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cardinale, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.8%) and Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Cardinale in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.6% (2,648 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cardinale appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.6%), Hispanic (7.8%), Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Cardinale (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 Cardinale mean?
Derived from the Italian word meaning "cardinal," referring to the high-ranking clergy of the Catholic Church. 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 Cardinale (0.99 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 common is the surname Cardinale?
Find out how many people have the last name Cardinale on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.