2000
#2,878
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,450
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.24
Uncommon Last name
Cardwell
From an English place name meaning "the spring near a rock," or referring to someone living near such a spring.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 12,928 Americans carry the last name Cardwell. That puts it at #3,115 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.77 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 26,513 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cardwell 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 Cardwell with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
13K
1 in 26,513
Census rank
#3,115
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
11K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 11,274 bearers of the surname Cardwell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.77 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3115th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cardwell, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.5%. The next largest groups are Black (11.4%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cardwell
The surname Cardwell has its origins in England, with the earliest records dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "carde" and "well," meaning a well or spring near a place where wool was carded or combed.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1182, which mention a person named Richard de Cardewelle. This suggests that the name was initially associated with a specific location, likely a place where wool carding took place near a well or spring.
By the 13th century, the name had spread to other parts of England, with various spellings such as Cardwelle, Cardwill, and Cardwyl appearing in historical records. In the Hundred Rolls of 1273, there is a reference to a Robert de Cardewelle in Cambridgeshire.
The Cardwell surname is also linked to several place names in England, including Cardwell in Lancashire and Cardwell Brook in Derbyshire. These locations may have been named after early bearers of the surname or vice versa.
One notable person with the surname Cardwell was Edward Cardwell (1787-1886), a British statesman and Secretary of State for War from 1868 to 1874. He played a significant role in reforming the British Army during his tenure.
Another prominent figure was Sir Nathaniel Cardwell (1584-1653), an English merchant and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1634. He was involved in the East India Company and played a role in the early colonization efforts in Virginia.
In the literary world, William Cardwell (1780-1828) was an English writer and historian known for his works on the history of the Church of England and the life of Cardinal Wolsey.
Sir Edward Cardwell (1813-1886), a British politician and colonial administrator, served as Secretary of State for the Colonies from 1864 to 1866 and was influential in shaping policies related to British colonies.
John Cardwell (1853-1926) was a British engineer and inventor who made significant contributions to the development of early aircraft and held several patents related to aeronautics.
Throughout its history, the Cardwell surname has been associated with various occupations, including wool trade, military service, politics, literature, and engineering, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and accomplishments of its bearers.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cardwell
Among Census respondents with the surname Cardwell, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.5%. The next largest groups are Black (11.4%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Cardwell 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 Cardwell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White79.5% · 8,958
- Black or African American11.4% · 1,283
- Two or more races4.4% · 491
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 415
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 74
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 53
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cardwell
Cardwell 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
#3,037
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,791
+341 bearers (+3.0%)
Per 100,000 4.00
Rank movement Down 159 places
2020
#3,115
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,274
-517 bearers (-4.4%)
Per 100,000 3.77
Rank movement Down 78 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,878 | 11,450 | 4.24 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,037 | 11,791 | 4.00 | +341 bearers (+3.0%) | Down 159 places |
| 2020 | #3,115 | 11,274 | 3.77 | -517 bearers (-4.4%) | Down 78 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 Cardwell 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 | #3,037 | #3,115 | -2.6% |
| Count | 11,791 | 11,274 | -4.4% |
| Per 100K | 4.00 | 3.77 | -5.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cardwell bearers went from 11,791 to 11,274 (-4.4% change). The surname moved down 78 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,037 to #3,115.
FAQ
Cardwell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cardwell?
Name Census estimates that about 12,928 living Americans carry the surname Cardwell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 26,513 residents.
How common is Cardwell?
Cardwell ranks #3,115 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.77 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 11,274 people with the surname Cardwell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (12,928), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.77 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.77 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Cardwell.
Has Cardwell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cardwell went from 11,791 recorded bearers to 11,274. That is a decrease of 517 (-4.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,037 to #3,115.
What does the Census say about the background of Cardwell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cardwell, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.5%. The next largest groups are Black (11.4%) and Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Cardwell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 79.5% (8,958 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cardwell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (79.5%), Black (11.4%), Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Cardwell (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 Cardwell mean?
From an English place name meaning "the spring near a rock," or referring to someone living near such a spring. 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 Cardwell (3.77 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 share the surname Cardwell?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.