2000
#8,537
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,554
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.32
Rare Last name
Caudillo
A surname of Spanish origin referring to a military or political leader, often one who rules by force.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,941 Americans carry the last name Caudillo. That puts it at #7,458 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.44 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 69,369 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Caudillo 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.
Bearers in the US
4.9K
1 in 69,369
Census rank
#7,458
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,309 bearers of the surname Caudillo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.44 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7458th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Caudillo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.3%. The next largest groups are White (8.7%) and Two or More Races (0.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Caudillo
Among Census respondents with the surname Caudillo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.3%. The next largest groups are White (8.7%) and Two or More Races (0.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Caudillo 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 Caudillo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino90.3% · 3,892
- White8.7% · 375
- Two or more races0.3% · 15
- Black or African American0.3% · 12
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 9
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.1% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Caudillo
Caudillo 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
#7,530
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,418
+864 bearers (+24.3%)
Per 100,000 1.50
Rank movement Up 1,007 places
2020
#7,458
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,309
-109 bearers (-2.5%)
Per 100,000 1.44
Rank movement Up 72 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,537 | 3,554 | 1.32 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,530 | 4,418 | 1.50 | +864 bearers (+24.3%) | Up 1,007 places |
| 2020 | #7,458 | 4,309 | 1.44 | -109 bearers (-2.5%) | Up 72 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 Caudillo 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 | #7,530 | #7,458 | 1.0% |
| Count | 4,418 | 4,309 | -2.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.50 | 1.44 | -3.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Caudillo bearers went from 4,418 to 4,309 (-2.5% change). The surname moved up 72 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,530 to #7,458.
FAQ
Caudillo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Caudillo?
Name Census estimates that about 4,941 living Americans carry the surname Caudillo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 69,369 residents.
How common is Caudillo?
Caudillo ranks #7,458 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.44 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 4,309 people with the surname Caudillo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,941), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.44 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.44 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 Caudillo.
Has Caudillo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Caudillo went from 4,418 recorded bearers to 4,309. That is a decrease of 109 (-2.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #7,530 to #7,458.
What does the Census say about the background of Caudillo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Caudillo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.3%. The next largest groups are White (8.7%) and Two or More Races (0.3%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Caudillo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.3% (3,892 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Caudillo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (90.3%), White (8.7%), Two or More Races (0.3%). 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 Caudillo (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 Caudillo mean?
A surname of Spanish origin referring to a military or political leader, often one who rules by force. 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 Caudillo (1.44 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 common is the surname Caudillo?
Want to know how many people are called Caudillo? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.