2000
#43,629
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 466
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.17
Very Rare Last name
Cavell
A surname derived from the Norman French "cavill," meaning "horse."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 525 Americans carry the last name Cavell. That puts it at #49,576 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.15 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 652,865 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cavell 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 Cavell with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
525
1 in 652,865
Census rank
#49,576
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
458
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 458 bearers of the surname Cavell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.15 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 49576th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cavell, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.2%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cavell
The surname Cavell originated from a region in Normandy, France, during the Middle Ages. It is believed to be derived from the old French word "cave" meaning hollow or cave, possibly referring to someone who lived near a cave or hollow area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Cavill" or "Cavil." This suggests that the name was already present in England following the Norman Conquest in 1066.
In the 12th century, there are records of a family named Cavell residing in the village of Cavell, located in the county of Norfolk, England. It is likely that the name was adopted from this place name, or that the place was named after the family.
Notable individuals with the surname Cavell include:
1. Edith Cavell (1865-1915), a British nurse who was executed by the Germans during World War I for helping Allied soldiers escape from occupied Belgium. Her execution caused an international outcry and she became a celebrated martyr for the Allied cause.
2. John Cavell (1637-1714), an English composer and organist who served as the organist at the Chapel Royal and St. Paul's Cathedral in London.
3. Mary Cavell (1662-1733), an English teacher and writer who established one of the earliest schools for girls in London.
4. William Cavell (c. 1500-1580), an English Protestant reformer and clergyman who played a significant role in the English Reformation under the reign of Edward VI.
5. Reginald Cavell (1876-1915), a British army officer who was killed in action during World War I at the Battle of Loos.
While the Cavell surname was initially concentrated in Norfolk and surrounding areas, it gradually spread throughout England and other parts of the British Isles over the centuries. The name has also been found in various spellings such as Cavill, Cavill, and Cavill.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cavell
Among Census respondents with the surname Cavell, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.2%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Cavell 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 Cavell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.4% · 391
- Hispanic or Latino5.2% · 24
- Two or more races4.4% · 20
- Black or African American3.7% · 17
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.3% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cavell
Cavell 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
#51,830
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 401
-65 bearers (-13.9%)
Per 100,000 0.14
Rank movement Down 8,201 places
2020
#49,576
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 458
+57 bearers (+14.2%)
Per 100,000 0.15
Rank movement Up 2,254 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #43,629 | 466 | 0.17 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #51,830 | 401 | 0.14 | -65 bearers (-13.9%) | Down 8,201 places |
| 2020 | #49,576 | 458 | 0.15 | +57 bearers (+14.2%) | Up 2,254 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 Cavell 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 | #51,830 | #49,576 | 4.3% |
| Count | 401 | 458 | 14.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.14 | 0.15 | 9.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cavell bearers went from 401 to 458 (+14.2% change). The surname moved up 2,254 positions in the national ranking, going from #51,830 to #49,576.
FAQ
Cavell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cavell?
Name Census estimates that about 525 living Americans carry the surname Cavell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 652,865 residents.
How common is Cavell?
Cavell ranks #49,576 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.15 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 458 people with the surname Cavell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (525), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.15 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.15 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 Cavell.
Has Cavell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cavell went from 401 recorded bearers to 458. That is an increase of 57 (+14.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #51,830 to #49,576.
What does the Census say about the background of Cavell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cavell, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.2%) and Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Cavell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.4% (391 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cavell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.4%), Hispanic (5.2%), Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Cavell (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 Cavell mean?
A surname derived from the Norman French "cavill," meaning "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 Cavell (0.15 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 Cavell?
Want to know how common the surname Cavell is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.