2000
#813
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 38,759
First available Census row
Per 100,000 14.37
Uncommon Last name
Case
An occupational surname referring to a maker or supplier of boxes, chests, or other containers.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 43,962 Americans carry the last name Case. That puts it at #896 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 12.83 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 7,797 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Case 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 Case with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
44K
1 in 7,797
Census rank
#896
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
12.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
38K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 38,337 bearers of the surname Case in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 12.83 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 896th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Case, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Case
The surname Case is an English occupational name derived from the Old French word 'cas', meaning a small house or cottage. It likely originated in the medieval period, referring to individuals who lived in a small dwelling or hamlet.
The earliest known record of the surname Case dates back to the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire in 1273, where it is listed as 'Atte Case'. This early spelling suggests a connection to a specific place or residence. Over time, the name evolved to its modern form, Case.
In the 13th century, the surname Case appeared in various records across England, particularly in Essex, Hertfordshire, and Cambridgeshire. It is believed that these areas were among the first places where the name became established.
The Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landholdings and population in England compiled in 1086, does not contain the surname Case. However, it does mention several place names with similar roots, such as Caistor in Lincolnshire, which may have influenced the development of the surname.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Case was John Case, born around 1350 in Woodstock, Oxfordshire. He was a renowned scholar and theologian who served as the rector of several parishes in the late 14th century.
Another notable figure was Sir John Case (1563-1600), a prominent English lawyer and judge who served as the Lord Chief Justice of England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
In the 16th century, the surname Case gained prominence in the county of Kent, where several families adopted it. One such individual was Thomas Case (1598-1682), an English Puritan minister and theologian known for his involvement in the Westminster Assembly.
During the 17th century, the Case surname spread to the American colonies, with some of the earliest recorded instances being John Case (1622-1691), who settled in Stamford, Connecticut, and Joseph Case (1653-1725), a prominent merchant and landowner in Rhode Island.
In the 18th century, Sir John Case (1732-1808) was a notable British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the American Revolutionary War and the Napoleonic Wars.
Throughout history, the surname Case has been associated with various occupations, including scholars, lawyers, clergymen, merchants, and military personnel, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of individuals bearing this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Case
Among Census respondents with the surname Case, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Case 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 Case surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.8% · 34,037
- Two or more races4.0% · 1,549
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 1,217
- Black or African American2.3% · 887
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 346
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 301
Timeline
Historical Census data for Case
Case 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
#885
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 39,319
+560 bearers (+1.4%)
Per 100,000 13.33
Rank movement Down 72 places
2020
#896
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 38,337
-982 bearers (-2.5%)
Per 100,000 12.83
Rank movement Down 11 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #813 | 38,759 | 14.37 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #885 | 39,319 | 13.33 | +560 bearers (+1.4%) | Down 72 places |
| 2020 | #896 | 38,337 | 12.83 | -982 bearers (-2.5%) | Down 11 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 Case 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 | #885 | #896 | -1.2% |
| Count | 39,319 | 38,337 | -2.5% |
| Per 100K | 13.33 | 12.83 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Case bearers went from 39,319 to 38,337 (-2.5% change). The surname moved down 11 positions in the national ranking, going from #885 to #896.
FAQ
Case surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Case?
Name Census estimates that about 43,962 living Americans carry the surname Case. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 7,797 residents.
How common is Case?
Case ranks #896 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 12.83 per 100,000 residents, which is about 13 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 38,337 people with the surname Case. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (43,962), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 12.83 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 12.83 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 13 of them to have the surname Case.
Has Case become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Case went from 39,319 recorded bearers to 38,337. That is a decrease of 982 (-2.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #885 to #896.
What does the Census say about the background of Case?
Among Census respondents with the surname Case, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (3.2%). 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 Case in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.8% (34,037 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Case appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.8%), Two or More Races (4.0%), Hispanic (3.2%). 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 Case (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 Case mean?
An occupational surname referring to a maker or supplier of boxes, chests, or other containers. 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 Case (12.83 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 Case?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.