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

Cayton, 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 Cayton surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Cayton in America

Cayton is the 12785th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Cayton surname appeared 2,413 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Cayton.

We can also compare 2010 data for Cayton 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 Cayton

The surname Cayton is believed to have originated in England, deriving from a location name. It is thought to be a habitational name, meaning it referred to someone who lived in a particular place. The name is likely derived from the Old English words "cae" (meaning key) and "tun" (meaning enclosure or village), suggesting it may have originally referred to a village or settlement with a key-shaped enclosure or boundary.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Cayton surname dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appeared as "Caitun" in Yorkshire. This suggests the name was already established in that region by the late 11th century. Over time, the spelling evolved to its modern form of Cayton.

The surname is also associated with the village of Cayton in North Yorkshire, England, which likely took its name from the same Old English roots. This village is mentioned in historical records dating back to the 12th century, further solidifying the antiquity of the name.

Among notable individuals with the Cayton surname, one of the earliest was Robert de Cayton, a landowner in Yorkshire who lived in the late 13th century. Another early bearer of the name was John Cayton, a merchant and burgess (a member of a medieval town council) in York in the 14th century.

In the 16th century, a Cayton family was prominent in Yorkshire, with members holding positions of importance in the local community. One such individual was William Cayton (c. 1530-1598), who served as a justice of the peace and was involved in local governance.

Moving forward in time, Horace Roscoe Cayton (1903-1970) was an American sociologist and author, known for his work on the Black Metropolis, a study of the African American community in Chicago in the mid-20th century.

Another notable figure was Andrew Cayton (1737-1801), an American Revolutionary War soldier and pioneer who settled in what is now Ohio, where he became a prominent landowner and community leader.

Overall, the surname Cayton has a rich history rooted in England, particularly in Yorkshire, and has been borne by individuals from various walks of life throughout the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Cayton

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

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 Cayton 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 Cayton 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 Cayton was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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