2010
#153,769
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Kacal
A Turkic surname derived from the word 'kachalka,' meaning 'swing' or 'seesaw.'
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Kacal. That puts it at #150,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,764,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kacal 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
124
1 in 2,764,148
Census rank
#150,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
108
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 108 bearers of the surname Kacal in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kacal, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.5%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kacal
The surname KACAL is believed to have originated in the region of modern-day Slovakia and the Czech Republic, possibly as early as the 13th century. It is thought to be derived from the Slavic word "kacal," which means "to wander" or "to roam." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who traveled frequently or had a nomadic lifestyle.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name KACAL can be found in a document from the town of Presov, Slovakia, dated around 1350. The document mentions a person named Jakub Kacal, who was a local merchant and landowner. This suggests that the name had already become established in the region by that time.
In the 15th century, there are records of a family named KACAL living in the village of Straznice, located in what is now the Czech Republic. This family is believed to have been among the first to use the name in its current spelling.
During the 17th century, a notable figure named Jan KACAL (1620-1689) was a prominent scholar and theologian in Prague. He wrote several influential works on religious philosophy and was a respected member of the academic community.
Another individual of note was Katerina KACAL (1745-1825), who was a renowned herbalist and healer in the town of Trencin, Slovakia. Her knowledge of medicinal plants and traditional remedies was widely sought after by the local population.
In the 19th century, a man named Josef KACAL (1810-1887) gained recognition as a skilled craftsman and woodcarver in the town of Zlin, Czech Republic. His intricate carvings and furniture pieces were highly prized and can still be found in museums and private collections.
Throughout its history, the surname KACAL has also been associated with various place names in the region, such as Kacalka, a village in eastern Slovakia, and Kacalovo, a small town in western Ukraine, which was once part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
While the name KACAL is not as common today as it once was, it remains an important part of the cultural heritage of Slovakia and the Czech Republic, with roots that can be traced back several centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kacal
Among Census respondents with the surname Kacal, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.5%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Kacal 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 Kacal surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.8% · 97
- Hispanic or Latino6.5% · 7
- Two or more races1.9% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kacal
Kacal 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
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
+2 bearers (+1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,834 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #153,769 | 106 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.9%) | Up 2,834 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 Kacal 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 | #153,769 | #150,935 | 1.8% |
| Count | 106 | 108 | 1.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -9.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kacal bearers went from 106 to 108 (+1.9% change). The surname moved up 2,834 positions in the national ranking, going from #153,769 to #150,935.
FAQ
Kacal surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kacal?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Kacal. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Kacal?
Kacal ranks #150,935 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 108 people with the surname Kacal. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (124), 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 Kacal.
Has Kacal become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kacal went from 106 recorded bearers to 108. That is an increase of 2 (+1.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #153,769 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Kacal?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kacal, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.5%) and Two or More Races (1.9%). 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 Kacal in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.8% (97 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kacal appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.8%), Hispanic (6.5%), Two or More Races (1.9%). 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 Kacal (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 Kacal mean?
A Turkic surname derived from the word 'kachalka,' meaning 'swing' or 'seesaw.' 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 Kacal (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 Kacal?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.