2000
#7,797
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,932
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.46
Rare Last name
Cavanagh
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Caomhánach," meaning "a descendant of Caomhán" (a personal name meaning "gentle" or "beautiful").
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,675 Americans carry the last name Cavanagh. That puts it at #7,805 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.36 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 73,316 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cavanagh 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 Cavanagh with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.7K
1 in 73,316
Census rank
#7,805
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,077 bearers of the surname Cavanagh in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.36 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7805th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cavanagh, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cavanagh
The surname Cavanagh has its origins in Ireland, emerging in the 11th century. It is an anglicized version of the Irish Gaelic name Ó Cavanaigh, meaning "descendant of Cavanagh." The name is derived from the Irish word "caomhánach," meaning "monk" or "servant."
The Cavanaghs were a prominent family in County Donegal, Ireland, and were part of the Cenél Conaill dynasty. They held significant power and influence in the region during the Middle Ages. One of the earliest recorded references to the name can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, an chronicles of medieval Irish history compiled in the 17th century.
In the 13th century, the Cavanaghs were involved in various conflicts with other Irish clans and the Anglo-Norman invaders. One notable figure was Donnchad Ó Cavanaigh, who led the Cavanagh clan in battles against the English in Donegal in the late 13th century.
As the name spread across Ireland, variations in spelling emerged, including Cavanagh, Kavanaugh, Kavanagh, and Cavanaugh. The name was also associated with several place names, such as Ballykavanagh and Clonmullen in County Carlow.
Among the notable individuals with the surname Cavanagh throughout history are:
1. Brian Cavanagh (c. 1590-1647), an Irish Catholic priest and chronicler who documented events during the Irish Confederate Wars.
2. Michael Cavanagh (1823-1890), an Irish-born Catholic bishop who served as the Bishop of Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia.
3. John Cavanagh (1864-1939), an Irish-American politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Illinois.
4. Art Cavanagh (1930-2020), an American professional baseball player who played for the Detroit Tigers and Kansas City Athletics.
5. James Cavanagh (1958-2004), an Irish hurler who played for the Kilkenny senior hurling team and is considered one of the greatest players in the history of the sport.
The surname Cavanagh continues to be found across Ireland, as well as in countries with significant Irish diaspora populations, such as the United States, Canada, and Australia.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cavanagh
Among Census respondents with the surname Cavanagh, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Cavanagh 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 Cavanagh surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.5% · 3,731
- Hispanic or Latino4.0% · 162
- Two or more races2.7% · 112
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 43
- Black or African American0.5% · 21
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cavanagh
Cavanagh 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
#8,114
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,086
+154 bearers (+3.9%)
Per 100,000 1.39
Rank movement Down 317 places
2020
#7,805
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,077
-9 bearers (-0.2%)
Per 100,000 1.36
Rank movement Up 309 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,797 | 3,932 | 1.46 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,114 | 4,086 | 1.39 | +154 bearers (+3.9%) | Down 317 places |
| 2020 | #7,805 | 4,077 | 1.36 | -9 bearers (-0.2%) | Up 309 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 Cavanagh 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 | #8,114 | #7,805 | 3.8% |
| Count | 4,086 | 4,077 | -0.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.39 | 1.36 | -1.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cavanagh bearers went from 4,086 to 4,077 (-0.2% change). The surname moved up 309 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,114 to #7,805.
FAQ
Cavanagh surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cavanagh?
Name Census estimates that about 4,675 living Americans carry the surname Cavanagh. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 73,316 residents.
How common is Cavanagh?
Cavanagh ranks #7,805 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.36 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 4,077 people with the surname Cavanagh. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,675), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.36 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.36 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 Cavanagh.
Has Cavanagh become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cavanagh went from 4,086 recorded bearers to 4,077. That is a decrease of 9 (-0.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #8,114 to #7,805.
What does the Census say about the background of Cavanagh?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cavanagh, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Cavanagh in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.5% (3,731 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cavanagh appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.5%), Hispanic (4.0%), Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Cavanagh (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 Cavanagh mean?
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Caomhánach," meaning "a descendant of Caomhán" (a personal name meaning "gentle" or "beautiful"). 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 Cavanagh (1.36 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 last name Cavanagh?
Want to know how many people are called Cavanagh? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.