2000
#20,528
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,201
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.45
Rare Last name
Cayetano
Of Spanish origin, referring to a person from the city of Cajeta or Gaeta in Italy.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,577 Americans carry the last name Cayetano. That puts it at #13,050 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.75 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 133,005 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cayetano 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
2.6K
1 in 133,005
Census rank
#13,050
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,247 bearers of the surname Cayetano in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.75 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13050th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cayetano, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 64.8%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (24.6%) and Black (5.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cayetano
The surname Cayetano originated in Italy during the late 15th century. It is derived from the Latin name Caietanus, which refers to someone from the town of Gaeta, located in the province of Latina, Lazio region. The name Gaeta itself comes from the ancient Greek word Kaietas, meaning "wind-swept."
Records from the late 1400s show the earliest known examples of the surname Cayetano in the regions of Campania and Lazio. It was particularly prevalent in the coastal town of Gaeta, where many families adopted the name to indicate their local heritage. The name also appeared in various historical manuscripts and documents from that time period.
One notable figure with the surname Cayetano was Tommaso de Vio (1469-1534), also known as Cardinal Cajetan. He was a prominent Italian philosopher, theologian, and cardinal of the Catholic Church. He played a significant role in the early years of the Protestant Reformation, engaging in debates with Martin Luther.
Another individual of historical importance was Benedetto Cayetano (1515-1599), an Italian painter and architect who worked extensively in the Mannerist style. He is best known for his frescoes and architectural designs in Rome and other parts of Italy.
In the 18th century, Francisco Cayetano de Cabrera y Ponce de León (1694-1768) was a Spanish military officer and colonial administrator. He served as the Governor of Chile from 1759 to 1765, during a period of political unrest and conflicts with indigenous populations.
Juan Cayetano Losada (1781-1870) was a prominent Venezuelan military leader and politician who played a crucial role in the Venezuelan War of Independence against Spanish colonial rule. He served as the President of Venezuela from 1835 to 1837.
More recently, Cayetano Rossell (1922-2007) was a Uruguayan painter and sculptor known for his abstract and geometric works. He is considered one of the most influential Latin American artists of the 20th century, with his works exhibited in major museums around the world.
While the surname Cayetano originated in Italy, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly Latin America, due to migration and cultural influences. However, its roots can be traced back to the town of Gaeta and the Latin name Caietanus, reflecting a rich historical and linguistic heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cayetano
Among Census respondents with the surname Cayetano, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 64.8%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (24.6%) and Black (5.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Cayetano 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 Cayetano surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino64.8% · 1,455
- Asian and Pacific Islander24.6% · 552
- Black or African American5.7% · 128
- Two or more races2.4% · 53
- White2.1% · 47
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cayetano
Cayetano 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
#13,933
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,167
+966 bearers (+80.4%)
Per 100,000 0.73
Rank movement Up 6,595 places
2020
#13,050
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,247
+80 bearers (+3.7%)
Per 100,000 0.75
Rank movement Up 883 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #20,528 | 1,201 | 0.45 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,933 | 2,167 | 0.73 | +966 bearers (+80.4%) | Up 6,595 places |
| 2020 | #13,050 | 2,247 | 0.75 | +80 bearers (+3.7%) | Up 883 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 Cayetano 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 | #13,933 | #13,050 | 6.3% |
| Count | 2,167 | 2,247 | 3.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.73 | 0.75 | 3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cayetano bearers went from 2,167 to 2,247 (+3.7% change). The surname moved up 883 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,933 to #13,050.
FAQ
Cayetano surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cayetano?
Name Census estimates that about 2,577 living Americans carry the surname Cayetano. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 133,005 residents.
How common is Cayetano?
Cayetano ranks #13,050 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.75 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 2,247 people with the surname Cayetano. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,577), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.75 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.75 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 Cayetano.
Has Cayetano become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cayetano went from 2,167 recorded bearers to 2,247. That is an increase of 80 (+3.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #13,933 to #13,050.
What does the Census say about the background of Cayetano?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cayetano, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 64.8%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (24.6%) and Black (5.7%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Cayetano in the 2020 Census, accounting for 64.8% (1,455 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cayetano appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (64.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (24.6%), Black (5.7%). 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 Cayetano (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 Cayetano mean?
Of Spanish origin, referring to a person from the city of Cajeta or Gaeta in Italy. 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 Cayetano (0.75 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 surname Cayetano?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.