2010
#160,975
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Cavalari
A surname derived from the Italian word "cavallo" meaning horse, possibly referring to someone involved in horse-related occupations or activities.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Cavalari. That puts it at #152,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,856,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cavalari 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
120
1 in 2,856,286
Census rank
#152,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105 bearers of the surname Cavalari in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cavalari, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.9%) and Hispanic (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cavalari
The surname Cavalari originates from Italy, with its roots traceable back to the 14th century. It is believed to have derived from the Italian word "cavaliere," which means "knight" or "horseman." This suggests that the name might have been initially associated with individuals who were skilled horsemen or part of a knightly order.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Cavalari can be found in historical records from various regions of Italy, including Tuscany, Lombardy, and Emilia-Romagna. One notable early mention of the name appears in a 15th-century manuscript from the city of Siena, where a certain Guido Cavalari is listed as a prominent merchant and landowner.
In the 16th century, the Cavalari name gained further recognition when Girolamo Cavalari (1509-1576), a celebrated Italian architect and military engineer, designed several fortifications and public buildings across Italy. His most notable works include the Fortezza da Basso in Florence and the Cittadella in Parma.
Another prominent figure bearing the Cavalari surname was Francesco Cavalari (1598-1670), a Baroque painter from Bologna. He was renowned for his religious works and frescoes adorning numerous churches throughout northern Italy.
During the Renaissance period, the Cavalari family also produced several scholars and intellectuals. One such individual was Gian Battista Cavalari (1555-1630), a renowned humanist and philosopher from Venice, who authored several treatises on ethics and metaphysics.
In the 18th century, the Cavalari name found its way into the annals of Italian literature with the poet and playwright Giambattista Cavalari (1725-1803). His works, which often explored themes of love and nature, were widely acclaimed and performed throughout Italy.
As the name Cavalari spread across Italy, it also underwent various spelling variations, including Cavalari, Cavallari, and Cavalleri. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and local customs.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cavalari
Among Census respondents with the surname Cavalari, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.9%) and Hispanic (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Cavalari 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 Cavalari surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.2% · 101
- Two or more races1.9% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cavalari
Cavalari appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
+5 bearers (+5.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 7,986 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #160,975 | 100 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+5.0%) | Up 7,986 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 Cavalari 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 | #160,975 | #152,989 | 5.0% |
| Count | 100 | 105 | 5.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 17.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cavalari bearers went from 100 to 105 (+5.0% change). The surname moved up 7,986 positions in the national ranking, going from #160,975 to #152,989.
FAQ
Cavalari surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cavalari?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Cavalari. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Cavalari?
Cavalari ranks #152,989 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 105 people with the surname Cavalari. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Cavalari.
Has Cavalari become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cavalari went from 100 recorded bearers to 105. That is an increase of 5 (+5.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #160,975 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Cavalari?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cavalari, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.9%) and Hispanic (1.0%). 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 Cavalari in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.2% (101 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cavalari appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.2%), Two or More Races (1.9%), Hispanic (1.0%). 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 Cavalari (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 Cavalari mean?
A surname derived from the Italian word "cavallo" meaning horse, possibly referring to someone involved in horse-related occupations or activities. 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 Cavalari (0.04 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 Cavalari?
You can see how many people are called Cavalari on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.