2000
#9,127
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,287
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.22
Rare Last name
Cavallo
An Italian occupational surname referring to a horse keeper, groom, or cavalryman.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,601 Americans carry the last name Cavallo. That puts it at #9,831 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 95,183 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cavallo 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Cavallo with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.6K
1 in 95,183
Census rank
#9,831
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,140 bearers of the surname Cavallo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9831st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cavallo, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.1%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cavallo
The surname Cavallo originated in Italy, with roots dating back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Italian word "cavallo," meaning "horse." This name likely originated as a descriptive surname, given to someone who worked with horses or had a physical resemblance to a horse.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Cavallo can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Cavensis, a collection of medieval documents from the Campania region of Italy. In these records, dated around the 11th century, there are references to individuals with the surname Cavallo living in the town of Cava de' Tirreni.
During the 13th century, the Cavallo family held notable positions in the city of Genoa. Records from this period mention a Guglielmo Cavallo, a prominent merchant and member of the city's ruling council. His son, Nicolò Cavallo, born in 1260, was a respected jurist and served as a judge in Genoa.
In the 14th century, the Cavallo name appeared in various documents across Italy, including the Florentine Libro della Taglia, a tax record from 1427. One notable figure from this period was Giovanni Cavallo, a skilled goldsmith born in Venice in 1375, whose works were highly sought after by the city's nobility.
The 16th century saw the rise of the Cavallo family in the Kingdom of Naples. Girolamo Cavallo, born in 1525, was a renowned architect who designed several notable buildings in the city, including the Church of San Gregorio Armeno. His nephew, Antonio Cavallo (1570-1642), was a celebrated painter whose works can be found in churches and galleries throughout Italy.
In the 17th century, the Cavallo name was associated with the literary world. Giacomo Cavallo (1615-1687), born in Rome, was a respected poet and playwright whose works were performed in theaters across Italy. His contemporary, Francesco Cavallo (1620-1695), was a renowned philosopher and theologian, known for his treatises on metaphysics and logic.
Throughout its history, the surname Cavallo has been associated with various professions and achievements, reflecting the diversity of individuals who have carried this name. While the origins of the name can be traced back to medieval Italy, its legacy has endured and spread across different regions, contributing to the rich tapestry of Italian heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cavallo
Among Census respondents with the surname Cavallo, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.1%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Cavallo 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 Cavallo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.1% · 2,736
- Hispanic or Latino9.1% · 287
- Two or more races2.5% · 77
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 22
- Black or African American0.4% · 14
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cavallo
Cavallo 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
#9,464
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,438
+151 bearers (+4.6%)
Per 100,000 1.17
Rank movement Down 337 places
2020
#9,831
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,140
-298 bearers (-8.7%)
Per 100,000 1.05
Rank movement Down 367 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,127 | 3,287 | 1.22 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,464 | 3,438 | 1.17 | +151 bearers (+4.6%) | Down 337 places |
| 2020 | #9,831 | 3,140 | 1.05 | -298 bearers (-8.7%) | Down 367 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 Cavallo 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 | #9,464 | #9,831 | -3.9% |
| Count | 3,438 | 3,140 | -8.7% |
| Per 100K | 1.17 | 1.05 | -10.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cavallo bearers went from 3,438 to 3,140 (-8.7% change). The surname moved down 367 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,464 to #9,831.
FAQ
Cavallo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cavallo?
Name Census estimates that about 3,601 living Americans carry the surname Cavallo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 95,183 residents.
How common is Cavallo?
Cavallo ranks #9,831 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.05 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,140 people with the surname Cavallo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,601), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.05 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Cavallo.
Has Cavallo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cavallo went from 3,438 recorded bearers to 3,140. That is a decrease of 298 (-8.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,464 to #9,831.
What does the Census say about the background of Cavallo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cavallo, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.1%) and Two or More Races (2.5%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Cavallo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.1% (2,736 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cavallo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.1%), Hispanic (9.1%), Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Cavallo (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 Cavallo mean?
An Italian occupational surname referring to a horse keeper, groom, or cavalryman. 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 Cavallo (1.05 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 Cavallo?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.