2000
#1,930
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 17,137
First available Census row
Per 100,000 6.35
Uncommon Last name
Cavanaugh
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Caomhánach," meaning a descendant of Caomhán, a personal name meaning "gentle" or "kind."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 19,450 Americans carry the last name Cavanaugh. That puts it at #2,076 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 5.67 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 17,622 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cavanaugh 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
19K
1 in 17,622
Census rank
#2,076
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
5.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
17K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 16,961 bearers of the surname Cavanaugh in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 5.67 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2076th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cavanaugh, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cavanaugh
Among Census respondents with the surname Cavanaugh, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Cavanaugh 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 Cavanaugh surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.6% · 14,865
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 667
- Two or more races3.2% · 537
- Black or African American2.7% · 460
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.8% · 300
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 132
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cavanaugh
Cavanaugh 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
#2,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 17,577
+440 bearers (+2.6%)
Per 100,000 5.96
Rank movement Down 119 places
2020
#2,076
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 16,961
-616 bearers (-3.5%)
Per 100,000 5.67
Rank movement Down 27 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,930 | 17,137 | 6.35 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,049 | 17,577 | 5.96 | +440 bearers (+2.6%) | Down 119 places |
| 2020 | #2,076 | 16,961 | 5.67 | -616 bearers (-3.5%) | Down 27 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 Cavanaugh 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 | #2,049 | #2,076 | -1.3% |
| Count | 17,577 | 16,961 | -3.5% |
| Per 100K | 5.96 | 5.67 | -4.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cavanaugh bearers went from 17,577 to 16,961 (-3.5% change). The surname moved down 27 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,049 to #2,076.
FAQ
Cavanaugh surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cavanaugh?
Name Census estimates that about 19,450 living Americans carry the surname Cavanaugh. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 17,622 residents.
How common is Cavanaugh?
Cavanaugh ranks #2,076 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 5.67 per 100,000 residents, which is about 6 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 16,961 people with the surname Cavanaugh. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (19,450), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 5.67 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 5.67 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 6 of them to have the surname Cavanaugh.
Has Cavanaugh become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cavanaugh went from 17,577 recorded bearers to 16,961. That is a decrease of 616 (-3.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,049 to #2,076.
What does the Census say about the background of Cavanaugh?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cavanaugh, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Cavanaugh in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.6% (14,865 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cavanaugh appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.6%), Hispanic (3.9%), Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Cavanaugh (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 Cavanaugh mean?
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Caomhánach," meaning a descendant of Caomhán, a personal name meaning "gentle" or "kind." 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 Cavanaugh (5.67 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 share the surname Cavanaugh?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.