2000
#5,579
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,711
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.12
Rare Last name
Caskey
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic Ó Cathasaigh, meaning "descendant of Cathasach" (brave or vigilant).
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,343 Americans carry the last name Caskey. That puts it at #5,992 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.85 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 54,037 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Caskey 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 Caskey with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
6.3K
1 in 54,037
Census rank
#5,992
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,531 bearers of the surname Caskey in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.85 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5992nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Caskey, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Black (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Caskey
The surname Caskey originates from the British Isles, specifically in the region of Scotland. It is believed to have derived from the Scottish Gaelic words "cas" meaning twisted or curled, and "aidh" meaning small stream or burn. Thus, the name Caskey likely referred to someone who lived near a winding or meandering stream.
In its earliest forms, the name was spelled as Caskey, Caskey, or Caskie. Some of the earliest recorded instances of this surname can be found in Scottish parish records from the 16th and 17th centuries, particularly in the counties of Lanarkshire and Ayrshire.
One of the earliest known bearers of this name was John Caskey, who was born in Lanarkshire, Scotland, around 1580. He was a landowner and farmer, and his family's presence in the area can be traced back to at least the early 1500s.
Another notable individual with this surname was Robert Caskey, born in Ayrshire, Scotland, in 1635. He was a merchant and trader who established a successful business in the city of Glasgow. His descendants continued to play a prominent role in the Scottish mercantile community for several generations.
In the late 17th century, some members of the Caskey family emigrated to the American colonies, particularly to Pennsylvania and Virginia. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in America was William Caskey, who was born in Scotland in 1670 and settled in Pennsylvania in 1698.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, the Caskey surname spread to various parts of the United States and Canada, as well as to other English-speaking countries such as Australia and New Zealand. Notable bearers of the name during this period include:
1. James Caskey (1770-1848), an American politician and lawyer from Pennsylvania.
2. George Caskey (1798-1872), a Canadian businessman and landowner in Ontario.
3. Sarah Caskey (1824-1907), an American educator and women's rights activist from Ohio.
4. Lacey Deane Caskey (1856-1934), an American lawyer and judge from Texas.
5. John William Caskey (1882-1974), an American archaeologist and professor at Boston University.
Overall, the surname Caskey has a rich history rooted in the Scottish Highlands, and its bearers have made significant contributions in various fields across multiple countries over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Caskey
Among Census respondents with the surname Caskey, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Black (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Caskey 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 Caskey surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.0% · 5,034
- Two or more races3.7% · 203
- Black or African American2.1% · 116
- Hispanic or Latino2.0% · 110
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 43
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 25
Timeline
Historical Census data for Caskey
Caskey 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
#5,776
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,997
+286 bearers (+5.0%)
Per 100,000 2.03
Rank movement Down 197 places
2020
#5,992
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,531
-466 bearers (-7.8%)
Per 100,000 1.85
Rank movement Down 216 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,579 | 5,711 | 2.12 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,776 | 5,997 | 2.03 | +286 bearers (+5.0%) | Down 197 places |
| 2020 | #5,992 | 5,531 | 1.85 | -466 bearers (-7.8%) | Down 216 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 Caskey 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 | #5,776 | #5,992 | -3.7% |
| Count | 5,997 | 5,531 | -7.8% |
| Per 100K | 2.03 | 1.85 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Caskey bearers went from 5,997 to 5,531 (-7.8% change). The surname moved down 216 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,776 to #5,992.
FAQ
Caskey surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Caskey?
Name Census estimates that about 6,343 living Americans carry the surname Caskey. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 54,037 residents.
How common is Caskey?
Caskey ranks #5,992 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.85 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,531 people with the surname Caskey. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,343), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.85 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.85 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Caskey.
Has Caskey become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Caskey went from 5,997 recorded bearers to 5,531. That is a decrease of 466 (-7.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,776 to #5,992.
What does the Census say about the background of Caskey?
Among Census respondents with the surname Caskey, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Black (2.1%). 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 Caskey in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.0% (5,034 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Caskey appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.0%), Two or More Races (3.7%), Black (2.1%). 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 Caskey (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 Caskey mean?
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic Ó Cathasaigh, meaning "descendant of Cathasach" (brave or vigilant). 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 Caskey (1.85 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 surname Caskey?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.