2000
#149,328
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Cavallino
A surname derived from the Italian word for "little horse".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Cavallino. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cavallino 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
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Cavallino in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cavallino, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cavallino
The surname Cavallino has its origins in Italy, emerging in the 13th century. It is derived from the Italian word "cavallo," meaning horse, and the diminutive suffix "-ino," suggesting a connection to horses or someone who worked with horses. The name's roots can be traced to regions like Tuscany and Lombardy, where it was commonly found among equine-related occupations or individuals residing near stables or horse breeding areas.
One of the earliest documented instances of the name Cavallino appeared in the historical records of Florence from the late 1200s. These records mentioned a family of skilled horsemen and breeders who bore this surname. Over the following centuries, the name spread to other parts of Italy, with various spelling variations emerging, such as Cavalino, Cavallini, and Cavallino.
In the 14th century, a notable figure named Giovanni Cavallino (1292-1354) was a renowned painter and mosaicist from Venice. His works adorned several churches and basilicas, including the iconic St. Mark's Basilica, where he created intricate mosaics depicting biblical scenes and religious figures.
Another prominent individual with this surname was Bartolomeo Cavallino (1616-1656), a Baroque painter from Naples. His masterpieces, including religious works and mythological scenes, can be found in various churches and museums across Italy, showcasing his talent for chiaroscuro and dramatic compositions.
In the realm of literature, Domenico Cavallino (1659-1732) was an Italian playwright and librettist from Venice. He wrote several operas and theatrical works that were popular during the late Baroque period, contributing to the cultural richness of the Venetian Republic.
The name Cavallino also had a connection to place names, such as the town of Cavallino-Treporti, located near Venice. This coastal town was known for its horse breeding and equestrian traditions, which likely influenced the prevalence of the surname in the area.
Another notable figure was Guglielmo Cavallino (1807-1874), an Italian military officer and patriot from Piedmont. He played a significant role in the Italian unification movement, fighting alongside Giuseppe Garibaldi during the Risorgimento and contributing to the liberation of southern Italy from foreign rule.
While the surname Cavallino may have evolved over time and spread to different regions, its roots can be traced back to the equine-related occupations and associations of its earliest bearers in medieval Italy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cavallino
Among Census respondents with the surname Cavallino, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Cavallino 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 Cavallino surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.7% · 100
- Hispanic or Latino8.3% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cavallino
Cavallino 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
#149,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
+9 bearers (+8.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 67 places
2020
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
-1 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 810 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #149,328 | 101 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #149,395 | 110 | 0.04 | +9 bearers (+8.9%) | Down 67 places |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.9%) | Down 810 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 Cavallino 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 | #149,395 | #150,205 | -0.5% |
| Count | 110 | 109 | -0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cavallino bearers went from 110 to 109 (-0.9% change). The surname moved down 810 positions in the national ranking, going from #149,395 to #150,205.
FAQ
Cavallino surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cavallino?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Cavallino. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Cavallino?
Cavallino ranks #150,205 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 109 people with the surname Cavallino. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), 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 Cavallino.
Has Cavallino become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cavallino went from 110 recorded bearers to 109. That is a decrease of 1 (-0.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #149,395 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Cavallino?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cavallino, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.3%). 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 Cavallino in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.7% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cavallino appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.7%), Hispanic (8.3%). 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 Cavallino (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 Cavallino mean?
A surname derived from the Italian word for "little horse". 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 Cavallino (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 Cavallino?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans have the surname Cavallino at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.