Explore the Family Name Cales

The meaning of Cales

1. English: either a topographic name from the plural form of Middle English caule, cale ‘sheepfold’ (see Call), or a variant of Cale or Kale, with post-medieval excrescent -s. 2. Dutch: variant of Calis, which is from the Latin personal name Calixtus (see Calixto) or a habitational name from the Dutch-Flemish form of the northern French placename Calais (compare English Callis). 3. French (Calès): habitational name from either of two places so called, in Lot and Dordogne, probably derived from pre-Latin kal ‘rock’. 4. Aragonese (Calés): probably of French origin (see 3 above). 5. Americanized form of German Kahl and possibly also of some other similar (like-sounding) surname; compare Cale.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Cales in the United States?

The surname Cales has shown a growing popularity in the United States, based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census. In 2000, the surname Cales was ranked 15,521 in terms of frequency, and by 2010 it climbed to the 15,104th position, indicating a positive change of 2.69%. Furthermore, the total count of individuals with this surname also increased from 1,731 to 1,953 over the same period, marking an impressive growth of 12.82%. The proportion of people named Cales per 100,000 also experienced a slight boost, moving from 0.64 to 0.66, reflecting a 3.13% rise.

20002010Change
Rank#15,521#15,1042.69%
Count1,7311,95312.82%
Proportion per 100k0.640.663.13%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Cales

When considering the ethnic identity of those bearing the name Cales, data from the Decennial U.S. Census reveals some interesting shifts between 2000 and 2010. People of White ethnicity form the majority of individuals carrying the Cales name, although their percentage slightly dropped from 81.40 to 80.75 over the mentioned decade. The Hispanic community saw a noticeable increase in representation from 13.23% to 14.90%. Unfortunately, data for Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian and Alaskan Native communities were suppressed for 2010, but back in 2000, they accounted for 0.98% and 0.35%, respectively. Interestingly, there is a notable decrease in the Black community, dropping from 2.77% to 1.59%, whereas the representation of individuals identifying with two or more races rose from 1.27% to 1.59%.

20002010Change
White81.4%80.75%-0.8%
Hispanic13.23%14.9%12.62%
Two or More Races1.27%1.59%25.2%
Black2.77%1.59%-42.6%
Asian/Pacific Islander0.98%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.35%0%0%