Find out how popular the last name Cavanaugh is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Cavanaugh.

Cavanaugh, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Cavanaugh surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Cavanaugh in America

Cavanaugh is the 2049th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Cavanaugh surname appeared 17,577 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 6 people would have the surname Cavanaugh.

We can also compare 2010 data for Cavanaugh to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Cavanaugh

The surname Cavanaugh is an anglicized version of the Irish Gaelic name Ó Cíobhánach, which originated in County Cork, Ireland. It is derived from the personal name Cíobhán, an Irish variant of the name Kevin.

The name Cavanaugh first appeared in historical records in the 16th century, with references to the Cavanaugh clan in County Cork. One of the earliest recorded individuals with this surname was Diarmuid Ó Cíobhánach, who lived in the late 16th century and was a member of the ruling Gaelic family in the territory of Cairbre Uí Chiardha, near the present-day town of Fermoy.

In the 17th century, the Cavanaugh family played a prominent role in the Irish Confederate Wars, with several members fighting alongside the Irish Catholic Confederation against the English Parliamentarian forces. One notable figure was Donnchadh Ó Cíobhánach, who served as a captain in the Confederate army and was killed in battle in 1647.

During the subsequent Cromwellian conquest of Ireland, many Cavanaugh families were dispossessed of their lands and forced to relocate to other parts of the country, leading to the widespread dispersal of the name throughout Ireland.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, several individuals with the surname Cavanaugh made significant contributions in various fields. John Cavanaugh (1782-1858) was an Irish Catholic priest and educator who founded St. Patrick's College in Maynooth, which became a leading seminary for the training of Catholic clergy in Ireland.

Another notable figure was Michael Cavanaugh (1823-1900), an Irish-American politician and lawyer who served as the 45th Governor of Minnesota from 1886 to 1888. He was born in County Monaghan, Ireland, and immigrated to the United States as a child.

In the literary realm, Frank Cavanaugh (1876-1953) was an American playwright and screenwriter best known for his work on the Broadway play "Three Wise Fools" and its subsequent film adaptation.

During the 20th century, John Cavanaugh (1914-2003) was a prominent American actor and director who had a successful career on stage, television, and film. He is perhaps best remembered for his roles in the television series "The Untouchables" and the film "The Untouchables" (1987).

Overall, the surname Cavanaugh has a rich history and has been borne by individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions, reflecting the widespread dispersal of the name from its Irish roots.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Cavanaugh

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Cavanaugh.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Cavanaugh was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Cavanaugh has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Cavanaugh was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Cavanaugh, please contact us.

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