2000
#14,168
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,945
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.72
Rare Last name
Caudell
A surname of French origin, derived from the Old French word "caudel," meaning a maker or seller of candles.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,135 Americans carry the last name Caudell. That puts it at #15,193 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.62 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 160,541 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Caudell 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 Caudell with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.1K
1 in 160,541
Census rank
#15,193
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,862 bearers of the surname Caudell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.62 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15193rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Caudell, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.5%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Caudell
The surname Caudell has its origins in England, where it first emerged in the early 13th century. It is derived from the Old French word "caudel," which referred to a warm, spiced wine drink. This suggests that the name may have originally been an occupational surname for someone who prepared or sold this beverage.
The earliest known record of the Caudell surname dates back to 1273, when a person named William Caudel was mentioned in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire. This medieval document was a census-like record of landholders and their possessions, providing valuable insight into names and their variants during that era.
In the 14th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as Cawdell, Caudell, and Caldwell, reflecting regional spelling variations common at the time. One notable individual from this period was John Cawdell, who was born in Leicestershire around 1335 and served as a member of the English Parliament in 1377.
The Caudell surname has also been associated with certain place names, particularly in the counties of Oxfordshire and Warwickshire. For instance, the village of Caudwell in Oxfordshire may have derived its name from the surname or vice versa, indicating a possible connection between the name and a specific location.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, several individuals with the Caudell surname gained prominence. One such person was William Caudell, born in 1557 in Oxfordshire, who was a renowned scholar and translator of classical works. Another notable figure was Robert Caudell (1573-1642), a clergyman and author from Buckinghamshire.
In the 18th century, the name continued to appear in various records, including baptismal and marriage registers. One prominent individual from this era was Thomas Caudell (1714-1792), a merchant and landowner from Warwickshire, who was known for his philanthropic contributions to his local community.
Throughout the 19th century, the Caudell surname was spread across different parts of England, with concentrations in counties like Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, and Gloucestershire. During this period, John Caudell (1807-1878), a renowned architect from Gloucestershire, left his mark on the built environment with his distinctive designs.
As the centuries progressed, the Caudell surname also found its way to other parts of the world, particularly through migration and exploration. One notable example is William Caudell (1824-1898), an English explorer and naturalist who made significant contributions to the study of flora and fauna in Australia and New Zealand.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Caudell
Among Census respondents with the surname Caudell, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.5%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Caudell 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 Caudell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.5% · 1,647
- Two or more races4.5% · 83
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 58
- Black or African American2.3% · 43
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 17
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 14
Timeline
Historical Census data for Caudell
Caudell 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
#14,827
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,999
+54 bearers (+2.8%)
Per 100,000 0.68
Rank movement Down 659 places
2020
#15,193
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,862
-137 bearers (-6.9%)
Per 100,000 0.62
Rank movement Down 366 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,168 | 1,945 | 0.72 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,827 | 1,999 | 0.68 | +54 bearers (+2.8%) | Down 659 places |
| 2020 | #15,193 | 1,862 | 0.62 | -137 bearers (-6.9%) | Down 366 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 Caudell 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 | #14,827 | #15,193 | -2.5% |
| Count | 1,999 | 1,862 | -6.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.68 | 0.62 | -8.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Caudell bearers went from 1,999 to 1,862 (-6.9% change). The surname moved down 366 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,827 to #15,193.
FAQ
Caudell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Caudell?
Name Census estimates that about 2,135 living Americans carry the surname Caudell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 160,541 residents.
How common is Caudell?
Caudell ranks #15,193 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.62 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 1,862 people with the surname Caudell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,135), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.62 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.62 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 Caudell.
Has Caudell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Caudell went from 1,999 recorded bearers to 1,862. That is a decrease of 137 (-6.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #14,827 to #15,193.
What does the Census say about the background of Caudell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Caudell, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.5%) and Hispanic (3.1%). 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 Caudell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.5% (1,647 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Caudell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.5%), Two or More Races (4.5%), Hispanic (3.1%). 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 Caudell (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 Caudell mean?
A surname of French origin, derived from the Old French word "caudel," meaning a maker or seller of candles. 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 Caudell (0.62 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 Caudell?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.