2000
#463
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 64,815
First available Census row
Per 100,000 24.03
Uncommon Last name
Casey
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Cathasaigh," meaning "descendant of Cathasach," a personal name meaning "vigilant" or "watchful."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 72,730 Americans carry the last name Casey. That puts it at #519 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 21.22 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 4,713 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Casey 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 Casey with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
73K
1 in 4,713
Census rank
#519
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
21.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
63K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 63,424 bearers of the surname Casey in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 21.22 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 519th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Casey, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.7%. The next largest groups are Black (7.4%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Casey
The surname Casey originated in Ireland, with roots tracing back to the 12th century. It is an Anglicized form of the Old Irish Gaelic name "O'Caiside," which means "descendant of Caiside." Caiside was derived from the word "cais," meaning "twisted" or "winding," likely referring to a geographic feature or the curved shape of a river.
The earliest recorded instances of the Casey name can be found in medieval Irish annals and genealogical records, such as the Annals of the Four Masters. One notable example is Conchobhar O'Caiside, a prominent chieftain in County Tipperary, who is mentioned in the annals around the year 1200.
In the 16th and 17th centuries, during the Tudor and Cromwellian conquests of Ireland, many Irish families adopted Anglicized versions of their surnames to avoid persecution or for administrative purposes. This led to the emergence of the Casey spelling, which became more widespread.
The Casey surname has a strong association with County Limerick and County Tipperary in Ireland. Some notable historical figures bearing this name include:
1. Liam Casey (1897-1966), an Irish politician and member of the Irish Revolutionary Army during the Irish War of Independence.
2. Siobhán Casey (1963-2018), an Irish novelist and short story writer, known for her works exploring contemporary Irish life.
3. John Casey (1820-1891), an Irish-American bishop who served as the third Bishop of Brooklyn, New York.
4. Sean Casey (1974-present), an American former professional baseball player who played for the Cincinnati Reds and several other teams.
5. Al Casey (1915-2005), an American television and film director, best known for his work on the sitcom "The Beverly Hillbillies."
The Casey name is also found in various place names, such as Casey's Bog in County Tipperary and Casey's Castle, a tower house located in County Clare, Ireland. These place names further reflect the historical presence of the Casey family in different regions of the country.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Casey
Among Census respondents with the surname Casey, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.7%. The next largest groups are Black (7.4%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Casey 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 Casey surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.7% · 53,078
- Black or African American7.4% · 4,712
- Two or more races3.9% · 2,504
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 2,187
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 512
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 431
Timeline
Historical Census data for Casey
Casey 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
#504
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 66,556
+1,741 bearers (+2.7%)
Per 100,000 22.56
Rank movement Down 41 places
2020
#519
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 63,424
-3,132 bearers (-4.7%)
Per 100,000 21.22
Rank movement Down 15 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #463 | 64,815 | 24.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #504 | 66,556 | 22.56 | +1,741 bearers (+2.7%) | Down 41 places |
| 2020 | #519 | 63,424 | 21.22 | -3,132 bearers (-4.7%) | Down 15 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 Casey 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 | #504 | #519 | -3.0% |
| Count | 66,556 | 63,424 | -4.7% |
| Per 100K | 22.56 | 21.22 | -5.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Casey bearers went from 66,556 to 63,424 (-4.7% change). The surname moved down 15 positions in the national ranking, going from #504 to #519.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Casey
FAQ
Casey surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Casey?
Name Census estimates that about 72,730 living Americans carry the surname Casey. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 4,713 residents.
How common is Casey?
Casey ranks #519 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 21.22 per 100,000 residents, which is about 21 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 63,424 people with the surname Casey. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (72,730), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 21.22 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 21.22 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 21 of them to have the surname Casey.
Has Casey become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Casey went from 66,556 recorded bearers to 63,424. That is a decrease of 3,132 (-4.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #504 to #519.
What does the Census say about the background of Casey?
Among Census respondents with the surname Casey, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.7%. The next largest groups are Black (7.4%) and Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Casey in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.7% (53,078 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Casey appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.7%), Black (7.4%), Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Casey (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 Casey mean?
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Cathasaigh," meaning "descendant of Cathasach," a personal name meaning "vigilant" or "watchful." 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 Casey (21.22 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 have the last name Casey?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Casey on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.