2000
#74,398
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 242
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.09
Very Rare Last name
Casals
A surname derived from the Catalan word "casal," meaning a country house or mansion.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 316 Americans carry the last name Casals. That puts it at #75,363 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.09 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,084,666 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Casals 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
316
1 in 1,084,666
Census rank
#75,363
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
276
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 276 bearers of the surname Casals in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.09 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 75363rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Casals, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 70.3%. The next largest groups are White (17.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (10.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Casals
The surname Casals is of Catalan origin, tracing its roots back to the northeastern region of Spain, particularly the areas around Barcelona and Catalonia. It is believed to have emerged in the 12th or 13th century, possibly derived from the Latin word "casa," meaning "house" or "dwelling."
One of the earliest known references to the Casals name can be found in the "Llibre del Repartiment," a historical document from the 13th century that documented the distribution of land and properties in the Kingdom of Valencia after the Christian conquest. This record suggests that individuals bearing the Casals surname were present in the region during this time period.
In the 14th century, a notable individual named Bernat Casals was mentioned in the "Arxiu de la Corona d'Aragó," an important archive containing historical documents from the Crown of Aragon. Bernat Casals was a merchant and landowner who played a significant role in the economic and political affairs of the region.
The earliest recorded example of the Casals surname dates back to the late 15th century, when a man named Guillem Casals was documented as a resident of the town of Vilafranca del Penedès, located in the province of Barcelona. This suggests that the name had already established itself in the region by that time.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the Casals surname. One of the most famous was Pablo Casals (1876-1973), a renowned Catalan cellist and conductor who was widely regarded as one of the greatest musicians of the 20th century. His contributions to classical music and his efforts in promoting peace and human rights earned him global recognition and numerous accolades.
Another notable figure was Gaspar Casadó Casals (1897-1986), a Spanish painter and engraver who was part of the Catalan Modernist movement. His works, which often depicted scenes from daily life and landscapes, are highly regarded and can be found in various museums and galleries around the world.
In the field of literature, Joan Casals i Vallès (1925-2004) was a Catalan writer, poet, and translator who made significant contributions to Catalan literature and cultural preservation. His works explored themes of identity, exile, and the human condition.
In the realm of politics, Josep Casals i Vallès (1893-1975) was a prominent Catalan politician and activist who played a key role in the fight for Catalan autonomy and independence during the early 20th century. He served as a member of the Catalan Parliament and was a vocal advocate for Catalan rights and self-determination.
The Casals surname has also been associated with various place names in the Catalonia region, such as Casals del Penedès, a municipality located in the province of Barcelona, and Casals d'Aragó, a village in the province of Tarragona. These place names may have originated from individuals bearing the Casals surname who resided or held property in those areas.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Casals
Among Census respondents with the surname Casals, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 70.3%. The next largest groups are White (17.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (10.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Casals 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 Casals surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino70.3% · 194
- White17.0% · 47
- Asian and Pacific Islander10.5% · 29
- Black or African American1.1% · 3
- Two or more races0.7% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Casals
Casals 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
#71,042
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 275
+33 bearers (+13.6%)
Per 100,000 0.09
Rank movement Up 3,356 places
2020
#75,363
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 276
+1 bearers (+0.4%)
Per 100,000 0.09
Rank movement Down 4,321 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #74,398 | 242 | 0.09 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #71,042 | 275 | 0.09 | +33 bearers (+13.6%) | Up 3,356 places |
| 2020 | #75,363 | 276 | 0.09 | +1 bearers (+0.4%) | Down 4,321 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 Casals 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 | #71,042 | #75,363 | -6.1% |
| Count | 275 | 276 | 0.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.09 | 0.09 | 2.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Casals bearers went from 275 to 276 (+0.4% change). The surname moved down 4,321 positions in the national ranking, going from #71,042 to #75,363.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Casals
FAQ
Casals surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Casals?
Name Census estimates that about 316 living Americans carry the surname Casals. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,084,666 residents.
How common is Casals?
Casals ranks #75,363 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.09 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 276 people with the surname Casals. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (316), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.09 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.09 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 Casals.
Has Casals become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Casals went from 275 recorded bearers to 276. That is an increase of 1 (+0.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #71,042 to #75,363.
What does the Census say about the background of Casals?
Among Census respondents with the surname Casals, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 70.3%. The next largest groups are White (17.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (10.5%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Casals in the 2020 Census, accounting for 70.3% (194 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Casals appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (70.3%), White (17.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (10.5%). 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 Casals (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 Casals mean?
A surname derived from the Catalan word "casal," meaning a country house or mansion. 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 Casals (0.09 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 common is the surname Casals?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how common the surname Casals is at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.