Explore the Family Name Cayer
The meaning of Cayer
1. Altered form of French Caillé (see Caille 3). Compare Cayea. 2. French: from Old French caier, a term denoting a pack of four candles (from Latin quaterni), possibly applied as a metonymic occupational name for a candle merchant. Some characteristic forenames: French Adelard, Armand, Normand, Jacques, Lucien, Andre, Benoit, Emile, Fernand, Germaine, Jean-Marc, Jean-Marie.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Cayer in the United States?
Based on the data collected from the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Cayer has seen an increase in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, the surname ranked 21,638 in popularity, but by 2010 it had climbed to 20,852 - a change of 3.63%. The number of individuals carrying the Cayer surname has also grown from 1,123 in 2000 to 1,265 in 2010, representing a substantial increase of 12.64%. Likewise, the proportion of people named Cayer per 100,000 increased by 2.38% over the same period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #21,638 | #20,852 | 3.63% |
| Count | 1,123 | 1,265 | 12.64% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.42 | 0.43 | 2.38% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Cayer
The Decennial U.S. Census also provides information about the ethnicity of those with the surname Cayer. In 2000, the majority identified as White, accounting for 97.15% of all Cayers. By 2010, this figure had decreased slightly to 94.86%. Interestingly, during the same decade, there was a marked rise in the percentage of individuals identifying with two or more ethnicities, jumping from 0.71% to 1.98%. Additionally, while there were no recorded instances of Cayers of Hispanic ethnicity in 2000, by 2010, they accounted for 1.26% of the total. The percentage of Cayers identifying as Black saw a modest increase from 1.16% to 1.26%, meanwhile, the percentage of those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native dropped from 0.45% to zero.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 97.15% | 94.86% | -2.36% |
| Two or More Races | 0.71% | 1.98% | 178.87% |
| Hispanic | 0% | 1.26% | 0% |
| Black | 1.16% | 1.26% | 8.62% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.45% | 0% | 0% |