Find out how popular the last name Caudillo is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Caudillo.

Caudillo, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Caudillo surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Caudillo in America

Caudillo is the 7530th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Caudillo surname appeared 4,418 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Caudillo.

We can also compare 2010 data for Caudillo to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Caudillo

The surname CAUDILLO has its origins in Spain, deriving from the Spanish word "caudillo," which means "leader" or "chief." This name is believed to have emerged during the Middle Ages, when it was likely used to refer to someone who held a position of authority or leadership within a community or military context.

The word "caudillo" itself can be traced back to the Latin word "capitellum," meaning "little head" or "chief." This linguistic connection suggests that the name CAUDILLO may have initially been applied to individuals who were considered leaders or heads of a particular group or organization.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname CAUDILLO can be found in the medieval Spanish manuscript "Cantar de Mio Cid," which dates back to the 12th century. This epic poem chronicles the life and adventures of the Castilian nobleman Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, who was known as "El Cid Campeador" (The Lord Champion).

In the 14th century, a notable figure bearing the surname CAUDILLO was Juan Caudillo, a prominent military commander who served under King Alfonso XI of Castile. Juan Caudillo played a significant role in the Battle of Río Salado in 1340, where the Castilian forces achieved a decisive victory over the Marinid dynasty of Morocco.

Another historical figure with the surname CAUDILLO was Gonzalo Caudillo, a Spanish conquistador who participated in the conquest of the Inca Empire in the 16th century. Gonzalo Caudillo was part of the expedition led by Francisco Pizarro and is known for his involvement in the capture of the Inca emperor Atahualpa.

In the 19th century, a prominent bearer of the CAUDILLO name was Miguel Caudillo y Ramos (1803-1875), a Spanish politician and military officer who served as the Prime Minister of Spain from 1847 to 1848. He played a significant role in the consolidation of the Spanish constitutional monarchy during the reign of Queen Isabella II.

Another notable figure with the surname CAUDILLO was Emilio Caudillo (1880-1944), a Spanish writer and journalist who gained recognition for his works on Spanish history and culture. Emilio Caudillo was a member of the prestigious Royal Spanish Academy and served as its director from 1938 until his death.

While the surname CAUDILLO has its roots in Spain, it has also been adopted and used in other Spanish-speaking countries, particularly in Latin America, where individuals bearing this name have contributed to various fields, including politics, military, and literature.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Caudillo

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Caudillo.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Caudillo was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Caudillo has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Caudillo was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Caudillo, please contact us.

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