2000
#2,998
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,061
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.10
Uncommon Last name
Causey
An English locational surname referring to someone who lived near a causeway or raised path over low or wet ground.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 12,414 Americans carry the last name Causey. That puts it at #3,257 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.62 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 27,610 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Causey 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 Causey with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
12K
1 in 27,610
Census rank
#3,257
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
11K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 10,826 bearers of the surname Causey in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.62 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3257th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Causey, the largest self-reported group is White at 70.6%. The next largest groups are Black (22.0%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Causey
The surname Causey is of English origin, deriving from the Old English word "cauciata" or "causiata," which referred to a paved or raised road or pathway. This name likely originated in the 12th or 13th century among individuals who lived near or worked on such causeways or raised roads.
The Causey surname can be found in various historical records, including the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "de Cauceya." This entry suggests that the name was already established in England prior to the Norman Conquest.
One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was William de Causey, who lived in Lincolnshire, England, in the late 13th century. Another notable figure was John Causey, a merchant and landowner from Norfolk, England, who was born around 1420.
In the 16th century, the Causey surname appeared in various spellings, such as Cawsey, Caussie, and Causy, reflecting the regional dialect variations of the time. One notable individual from this period was Thomas Causey, a politician and landowner from Yorkshire, who lived from 1505 to 1572.
During the 17th century, the Causey surname gained prominence with the birth of Sir John Causey (1627-1695), a wealthy merchant and politician from London. He served as a member of parliament and was knighted by King Charles II in 1662.
Another notable figure was Robert Causey (1640-1720), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Master of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, from 1691 until his death.
In the 18th century, the Causey surname continued to be found across various regions of England. One notable individual was William Causey (1718-1789), a successful businessman and landowner from Hertfordshire.
As the centuries progressed, the Causey surname spread to other parts of the world, including North America and Australia, as English settlers and immigrants established new communities in these regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Causey
Among Census respondents with the surname Causey, the largest self-reported group is White at 70.6%. The next largest groups are Black (22.0%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Causey 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 Causey surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White70.6% · 7,640
- Black or African American22.0% · 2,385
- Two or more races4.0% · 432
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 289
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 47
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 33
Timeline
Historical Census data for Causey
Causey 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
#3,171
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,387
+326 bearers (+2.9%)
Per 100,000 3.86
Rank movement Down 173 places
2020
#3,257
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,826
-561 bearers (-4.9%)
Per 100,000 3.62
Rank movement Down 86 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,998 | 11,061 | 4.10 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,171 | 11,387 | 3.86 | +326 bearers (+2.9%) | Down 173 places |
| 2020 | #3,257 | 10,826 | 3.62 | -561 bearers (-4.9%) | Down 86 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 Causey 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 | #3,171 | #3,257 | -2.7% |
| Count | 11,387 | 10,826 | -4.9% |
| Per 100K | 3.86 | 3.62 | -6.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Causey bearers went from 11,387 to 10,826 (-4.9% change). The surname moved down 86 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,171 to #3,257.
FAQ
Causey surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Causey?
Name Census estimates that about 12,414 living Americans carry the surname Causey. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 27,610 residents.
How common is Causey?
Causey ranks #3,257 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.62 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 10,826 people with the surname Causey. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (12,414), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.62 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.62 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Causey.
Has Causey become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Causey went from 11,387 recorded bearers to 10,826. That is a decrease of 561 (-4.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,171 to #3,257.
What does the Census say about the background of Causey?
Among Census respondents with the surname Causey, the largest self-reported group is White at 70.6%. The next largest groups are Black (22.0%) and Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Causey in the 2020 Census, accounting for 70.6% (7,640 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Causey appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (70.6%), Black (22.0%), Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Causey (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 Causey mean?
An English locational surname referring to someone who lived near a causeway or raised path over low or wet ground. 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 Causey (3.62 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 have the surname Causey?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.