2010
#157,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Conable
A locational surname deriving from some place with a name meaning "conical hill".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 122 Americans carry the last name Conable. That puts it at #152,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,809,462 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Conable 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
122
1 in 2,809,462
Census rank
#152,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
106
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 106 bearers of the surname Conable in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Conable, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.6%) and Two or More Races (5.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Conable
The surname CONABLE is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "cun," meaning "kin" or "family," and the suffix "-able," indicating ability or potential.
The name was likely first used to describe someone who was perceived as being capable or suited for family leadership or responsibilities. It may have initially been a descriptive nickname before becoming a hereditary surname.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the CONABLE surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1176, where a William Cunable is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already in use by the late 12th century.
In the 13th century, the surname appears in various forms, such as Connabull and Connable, reflecting regional variations in spelling and pronunciation. The Hundred Rolls of Huntingdonshire from 1273 contain a reference to a Richard Conabull.
During the 14th century, the CONABLE surname can be found in several historical records, including the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire from 1379, which lists a John Conable.
Notable individuals bearing the CONABLE surname throughout history include:
1. Sir Thomas Conable (c. 1420-1492), an English knight and landowner from Gloucestershire.
2. William Conable (c. 1560-1632), an English clergyman and author of theological works.
3. John Conable (1647-1720), an English merchant and member of the East India Company.
4. Elizabeth Conable (1682-1758), a prominent Quaker minister and writer from Pennsylvania.
5. George Conable (1789-1865), a British military officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars.
While the CONABLE surname has roots in medieval England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, reflecting the migration patterns of families over the centuries. However, detailed historical records and references beyond the 19th century are scarce, as the focus of this report is on the surname's origins and early documented instances.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Conable
Among Census respondents with the surname Conable, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.6%) and Two or More Races (5.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Conable 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 Conable surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.8% · 91
- Hispanic or Latino6.6% · 7
- Two or more races5.7% · 6
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Conable
Conable appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#152,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
+3 bearers (+2.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 4,895 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #157,234 | 103 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #152,339 | 106 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.9%) | Up 4,895 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 Conable 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 | #157,234 | #152,339 | 3.1% |
| Count | 103 | 106 | 2.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 18.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Conable bearers went from 103 to 106 (+2.9% change). The surname moved up 4,895 positions in the national ranking, going from #157,234 to #152,339.
FAQ
Conable surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Conable?
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the surname Conable. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,809,462 residents.
How common is Conable?
Conable ranks #152,339 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 106 people with the surname Conable. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (122), 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 Conable.
Has Conable become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Conable went from 103 recorded bearers to 106. That is an increase of 3 (+2.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #157,234 to #152,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Conable?
Among Census respondents with the surname Conable, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.6%) and Two or More Races (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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Conable in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.8% (91 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Conable appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.8%), Hispanic (6.6%), Two or More Races (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 Conable (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 Conable mean?
A locational surname deriving from some place with a name meaning "conical hill". 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 Conable (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 Americans have the surname Conable?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.