2000
#143,847
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Cearnal
A surname derived from the Latin word for "flesh", possibly referring to an occupation related to butchery or meat processing.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 131 Americans carry the last name Cearnal. That puts it at #146,495 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,616,445 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cearnal 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
131
1 in 2,616,445
Census rank
#146,495
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
114
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 114 bearers of the surname Cearnal in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 146495th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cearnal, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.6%. The next largest groups are Black (20.2%) and Hispanic (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cearnal
The surname CEARNAL has its origins in England and dates back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "cearn" and "halh," meaning "rocky valley" or "rocky nook." This suggests that the name may have been used to describe someone who lived near a rocky ravine or a secluded, rocky area.
The earliest recorded mention of the CEARNAL surname appears in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire in 1199. These rolls were a record of financial transactions and payments made to the Crown during the reign of King John. The name is spelled as "Cernehal" in these records, indicating the evolution of the spelling over time.
In the 13th century, the CEARNAL surname is found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire, where it is recorded as "Cernehal." These rolls were a survey of landowners and tenants conducted during the reign of King Edward I. This suggests that the CEARNAL family may have held land or been tenants in the county of Oxfordshire during this period.
One of the earliest known individuals with the CEARNAL surname was Sir William Cearnal, who was born in the village of Cernehale, Oxfordshire, in 1287. He was a prominent landowner and served as a knight in the service of King Edward II. Sir William's descendants continued to use the CEARNAL surname for several generations.
Another notable figure was John Cearnal, born in 1452 in the village of Cernehale, Oxfordshire. He was a scholar and a member of the clergy, serving as a canon at Salisbury Cathedral. John Cearnal was known for his writings on theology and his contributions to the intellectual life of the church during the Renaissance period.
In the 16th century, the CEARNAL surname is recorded in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Cernehale, Oxfordshire. One entry from 1573 mentions the marriage of Thomas Cearnal and Elizabeth Woodley, suggesting that the surname was well-established in the area at that time.
During the 17th century, the CEARNAL family expanded beyond Oxfordshire, with some members settling in other parts of England. One notable individual was Robert Cearnal, born in 1629 in the village of Cernehale. He was a merchant and ship owner who made his fortune in the lucrative trade with the West Indies.
By the 18th century, the spelling of the surname had evolved to its modern form, CEARNAL. One prominent figure from this era was Captain James Cearnal, born in 1712 in the town of Cernehale, Oxfordshire. He was a naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the Seven Years' War and the American Revolutionary War.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cearnal
Among Census respondents with the surname Cearnal, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.6%. The next largest groups are Black (20.2%) and Hispanic (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Cearnal 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 Cearnal surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White74.6% · 85
- Black or African American20.2% · 23
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 3
- Two or more races2.6% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cearnal
Cearnal 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
#149,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
+4 bearers (+3.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,548 places
2020
#146,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
+4 bearers (+3.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,900 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #143,847 | 106 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #149,395 | 110 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.8%) | Down 5,548 places |
| 2020 | #146,495 | 114 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.6%) | Up 2,900 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 Cearnal 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 | #149,395 | #146,495 | 1.9% |
| Count | 110 | 114 | 3.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cearnal bearers went from 110 to 114 (+3.6% change). The surname moved up 2,900 positions in the national ranking, going from #149,395 to #146,495.
FAQ
Cearnal surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cearnal?
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the surname Cearnal. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,616,445 residents.
How common is Cearnal?
Cearnal ranks #146,495 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 114 people with the surname Cearnal. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (131), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Cearnal.
Has Cearnal become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cearnal went from 110 recorded bearers to 114. That is an increase of 4 (+3.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #149,395 to #146,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Cearnal?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cearnal, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.6%. The next largest groups are Black (20.2%) and Hispanic (2.6%). 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 Cearnal in the 2020 Census, accounting for 74.6% (85 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cearnal appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (74.6%), Black (20.2%), Hispanic (2.6%). 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 Cearnal (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 Cearnal mean?
A surname derived from the Latin word for "flesh", possibly referring to an occupation related to butchery or meat processing. 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 Cearnal (0.04 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 Cearnal?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.