2000
#7,208
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,272
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.58
Rare Last name
Cauley
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Amhalghaidh," meaning "son of Amhalghaidh," a personal name of uncertain origin.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,015 Americans carry the last name Cauley. That puts it at #7,349 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.46 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 68,346 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cauley 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
5.0K
1 in 68,346
Census rank
#7,349
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,373 bearers of the surname Cauley in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.46 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7349th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cauley, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.3%. The next largest groups are Black (20.0%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cauley
The surname Cauley originated in Ireland and is an Anglicized version of the Gaelic name Ó Cathail. The name is derived from the Gaelic word "cathail," which means "warrior." The earliest records of this surname date back to the 12th century in County Mayo, Ireland.
The Cauley name was prominent in County Mayo during the medieval period, and several individuals bearing this surname were mentioned in historical records from that time. For instance, Seán Ó Cathail, a chieftain of the Ó Cathail clan, was recorded as having participated in the Battle of Clontarf in 1014.
In the 16th century, the Cauley surname was also found in County Sligo, where it was anglicized to its current spelling. The earliest known record of this spelling is from 1594, when a John Cauley was listed in the Fiants of the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
One notable individual with the Cauley surname was Dermot Cauley, a renowned Irish harper who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He was known for his skill in playing the traditional Irish harp and is believed to have been a member of the Cauley family from County Sligo.
Another historical figure with this surname was Edmond Cauley, a Catholic priest who lived in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. He was an influential figure in the Irish Catholic community during the Penal Laws and is remembered for his efforts to preserve the Catholic faith in Ireland during a time of persecution.
In the 19th century, the Cauley surname was also found in County Donegal, where it was likely derived from the same Gaelic root. One notable individual from this region was Patrick Cauley, a teacher and Irish language scholar who lived in the mid-19th century. He was known for his work in promoting the study and preservation of the Irish language.
Other notable individuals with the Cauley surname include James Cauley, an Irish-American journalist and newspaper editor who lived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and William Cauley, an Irish-American politician who served as a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly in the early 20th century.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cauley
Among Census respondents with the surname Cauley, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.3%. The next largest groups are Black (20.0%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Cauley 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 Cauley surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White72.3% · 3,161
- Black or African American20.0% · 876
- Two or more races3.9% · 170
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 130
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 23
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 13
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cauley
Cauley 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
#7,413
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,491
+219 bearers (+5.1%)
Per 100,000 1.52
Rank movement Down 205 places
2020
#7,349
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,373
-118 bearers (-2.6%)
Per 100,000 1.46
Rank movement Up 64 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,208 | 4,272 | 1.58 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,413 | 4,491 | 1.52 | +219 bearers (+5.1%) | Down 205 places |
| 2020 | #7,349 | 4,373 | 1.46 | -118 bearers (-2.6%) | Up 64 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 Cauley 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 | #7,413 | #7,349 | 0.9% |
| Count | 4,491 | 4,373 | -2.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.52 | 1.46 | -3.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cauley bearers went from 4,491 to 4,373 (-2.6% change). The surname moved up 64 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,413 to #7,349.
FAQ
Cauley surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cauley?
Name Census estimates that about 5,015 living Americans carry the surname Cauley. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 68,346 residents.
How common is Cauley?
Cauley ranks #7,349 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.46 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 4,373 people with the surname Cauley. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,015), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.46 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.46 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 Cauley.
Has Cauley become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cauley went from 4,491 recorded bearers to 4,373. That is a decrease of 118 (-2.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #7,413 to #7,349.
What does the Census say about the background of Cauley?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cauley, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.3%. The next largest groups are Black (20.0%) 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 Cauley in the 2020 Census, accounting for 72.3% (3,161 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cauley appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (72.3%), Black (20.0%), 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 Cauley (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 Cauley mean?
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Amhalghaidh," meaning "son of Amhalghaidh," a personal name of uncertain origin. 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 Cauley (1.46 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 Cauley?
Want to know how many people are called Cauley? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.