2000
#9,059
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,318
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.23
Rare Last name
Cavalier
A surname referring to a horseman, especially a mounted soldier or knight.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,664 Americans carry the last name Cavalier. That puts it at #9,697 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 93,546 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cavalier 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 Cavalier with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.7K
1 in 93,546
Census rank
#9,697
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,195 bearers of the surname Cavalier in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9697th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cavalier, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.8%. The next largest groups are Black (11.8%) and Hispanic (6.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cavalier
The surname CAVALIER finds its origins in the French language, emerging in the late Middle Ages around the 13th or 14th century. It is derived from the Old French word "cavalier," which means a mounted soldier or knight. The name likely originated in the regions of northern France, particularly Normandy, where the chivalric traditions of knighthood were prominent during this period.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the CAVALIER surname can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which were census-like records compiled in England during the reign of King Edward I. The rolls mention a Robert le Cavalier, suggesting the surname's use among the Norman nobility who settled in England after the Norman Conquest in 1066.
The CAVALIER surname also appears in various medieval manuscripts and records, such as the Calender of Wills and the Patent Rolls, indicating its widespread use among the landed gentry and aristocracy of the time. In the 14th century, a Sir John Cavalier is mentioned as a prominent landowner in the county of Kent, England.
During the English Civil War of the 17th century, the term "Cavalier" became associated with the Royalist supporters of King Charles I, who were known for their flamboyant style and cavalier attitudes. This connection further solidified the surname's connotations of nobility and military service.
Notable individuals with the CAVALIER surname include:
1. Jean Cavalier (1681-1740), a French Protestant leader during the Camisard Revolt against Louis XIV.
2. Sir William Cavalier (c. 1500-1568), an English politician and Member of Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
3. Alain Cavalier (born 1935), a French film director and screenwriter, known for his works such as "Thérèse" and "Le Plein de Super."
4. Juanita Cavalier (1815-1887), a prominent socialite and hostess in New Orleans during the 19th century.
5. Robert Cavalier, Sieur de La Salle (1643-1687), a French explorer and fur trader who claimed the Louisiana territory for France and explored the Great Lakes region.
While the CAVALIER surname has its roots in French nobility and military service, it has since spread globally and taken on various spellings and variations, reflecting the diverse cultural influences and migrations of families over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cavalier
Among Census respondents with the surname Cavalier, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.8%. The next largest groups are Black (11.8%) and Hispanic (6.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Cavalier 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 Cavalier surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White75.8% · 2,423
- Black or African American11.8% · 378
- Hispanic or Latino6.8% · 216
- Two or more races4.1% · 132
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 30
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 16
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cavalier
Cavalier 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
#9,848
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,285
-33 bearers (-1.0%)
Per 100,000 1.11
Rank movement Down 789 places
2020
#9,697
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,195
-90 bearers (-2.7%)
Per 100,000 1.07
Rank movement Up 151 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,059 | 3,318 | 1.23 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,848 | 3,285 | 1.11 | -33 bearers (-1.0%) | Down 789 places |
| 2020 | #9,697 | 3,195 | 1.07 | -90 bearers (-2.7%) | Up 151 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 Cavalier 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 | #9,848 | #9,697 | 1.5% |
| Count | 3,285 | 3,195 | -2.7% |
| Per 100K | 1.11 | 1.07 | -3.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cavalier bearers went from 3,285 to 3,195 (-2.7% change). The surname moved up 151 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,848 to #9,697.
FAQ
Cavalier surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cavalier?
Name Census estimates that about 3,664 living Americans carry the surname Cavalier. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 93,546 residents.
How common is Cavalier?
Cavalier ranks #9,697 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.07 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 3,195 people with the surname Cavalier. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,664), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.07 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 Cavalier.
Has Cavalier become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cavalier went from 3,285 recorded bearers to 3,195. That is a decrease of 90 (-2.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #9,848 to #9,697.
What does the Census say about the background of Cavalier?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cavalier, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.8%. The next largest groups are Black (11.8%) and Hispanic (6.8%). 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 Cavalier in the 2020 Census, accounting for 75.8% (2,423 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cavalier appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (75.8%), Black (11.8%), Hispanic (6.8%). 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 Cavalier (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 Cavalier mean?
A surname referring to a horseman, especially a mounted soldier or knight. 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 Cavalier (1.07 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 Cavalier?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how common the surname Cavalier is at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.