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

Cesar, 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 Cesar surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Cesar in America

Cesar is the 8458th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Cesar surname appeared 3,904 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 Cesar.

We can also compare 2010 data for Cesar 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 Cesar

The surname Cesar has its origins in ancient Rome, derived from the Latin cognomen "Caesar," which was initially a personal name. The name itself is believed to have originated from the Latin word "caesaries," meaning "hair" or "head of hair," possibly referring to someone with a full head of hair.

The name gained prominence during the reign of Julius Caesar, the renowned Roman dictator and military leader who lived from 100 BC to 44 BC. After his death, the name Caesar became a title bestowed upon Roman emperors, and it eventually evolved into a surname.

Cesar can be traced back to the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land and property commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appears in various spellings, such as "Cesar" and "Cesare," indicating its early presence in England.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Cesar was Pietro Cesare (1270-1326), an Italian jurist and legal scholar from Bologna, known for his contributions to canon law and his work on the Decretals of Pope Gregory IX.

Another notable figure was Cesare Borgia (1475-1507), an Italian nobleman, politician, and cardinal, who was the illegitimate son of Pope Alexander VI. Cesare gained infamy for his ruthless pursuit of power and his involvement in various intrigues and conflicts during the Renaissance period.

In England, Sir Julius Caesar (1558-1636) was a prominent figure who served as a judge and held the position of Master of the Rolls, one of the most influential legal positions in the country at the time.

The surname Cesar also has connections to various place names, such as Cesarea in modern-day Israel, which was founded by Herod the Great and named in honor of the Roman emperor Augustus Caesar.

Another historical figure bearing the name Cesar was Cesare Lombroso (1835-1909), an Italian criminologist and physician who is known for his influential but controversial theories on the biological origins of criminal behavior, which were later discredited.

Throughout history, the surname Cesar has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including artists, writers, politicians, and scholars, reflecting its enduring legacy and diverse origins.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Cesar

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

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

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

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