2000
#134,037
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Cautela
An Italian surname derived from the word "cautela," meaning caution or carefulness.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 111 Americans carry the last name Cautela. That puts it at #156,449 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,087,877 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cautela 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
111
1 in 3,087,877
Census rank
#156,449
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
97
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 97 bearers of the surname Cautela in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156449th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cautela, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.2%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cautela
The surname Cautela originated in Italy, tracing its roots back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Italian word "cautela," which means caution or prudence. This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone known for their careful and cautious nature.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Cautela can be found in the 13th-century manuscript "Codice Diplomatico Barese," which contains records from the city of Bari in southern Italy. The name appears in various forms, such as "Cautela" and "Cautelli," indicating variations in spelling over time.
In the 14th century, a notable figure named Giovanni Cautela was mentioned in the chronicles of the city of Naples. He was a prominent merchant and landowner, indicating that the Cautela family had achieved a certain level of prosperity and status during that era.
The name Cautela has also been associated with several place names in Italy, such as Cautela, a small village in the province of Salerno, and Cautela Vecchia, an ancient settlement near the city of Bari. These place names may have been derived from the surname itself or vice versa, reflecting the connection between family names and geographic locations.
In the 16th century, a renowned Italian scholar and humanist named Girolamo Cautela (1508-1578) gained recognition for his contributions to literature and philosophy. He was born in Naples and authored several works, including "De Rerum Causis" (On the Causes of Things), which explored various philosophical and scientific topics.
Another notable figure with the surname Cautela was Fabio Cautela (1629-1698), an Italian painter and architect from Naples. He is known for his works in churches and palaces throughout the city, showcasing his artistic talents and architectural skills.
Throughout history, the Cautela surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including artists, scholars, merchants, and landowners. While the name may have originated from a reference to caution or prudence, it has also been associated with achievements in various fields, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of those who bore this surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cautela
Among Census respondents with the surname Cautela, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.2%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Cautela 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 Cautela surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.7% · 87
- Hispanic or Latino8.2% · 8
- Two or more races2.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cautela
Cautela 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
#148,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
-5 bearers (-4.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 14,310 places
2020
#156,449
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 97
-14 bearers (-12.6%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 8,102 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,037 | 116 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #148,347 | 111 | 0.04 | -5 bearers (-4.3%) | Down 14,310 places |
| 2020 | #156,449 | 97 | 0.03 | -14 bearers (-12.6%) | Down 8,102 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 Cautela 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 | #148,347 | #156,449 | -5.5% |
| Count | 111 | 97 | -12.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -18.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cautela bearers went from 111 to 97 (-12.6% change). The surname moved down 8,102 positions in the national ranking, going from #148,347 to #156,449.
FAQ
Cautela surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cautela?
Name Census estimates that about 111 living Americans carry the surname Cautela. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,087,877 residents.
How common is Cautela?
Cautela ranks #156,449 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 97 people with the surname Cautela. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (111), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Cautela.
Has Cautela become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cautela went from 111 recorded bearers to 97. That is a decrease of 14 (-12.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #148,347 to #156,449.
What does the Census say about the background of Cautela?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cautela, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.2%) and Two or More Races (2.1%). 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 Cautela in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.7% (87 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cautela appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.7%), Hispanic (8.2%), Two or More Races (2.1%). 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 Cautela (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 Cautela mean?
An Italian surname derived from the word "cautela," meaning caution or carefulness. 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 Cautela (0.03 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 Cautela?
See how many people are called Cautela on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.