NameCensus.

UK surname

Caban

A Breton occupational surname referring to a boatman or mariner.

In the 1881 census there were 7 people recorded with the Caban surname, ranking it #32,765 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 103, ranked #30,515, up from #32,765 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cornwall, IZ07 and Sheffield.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Caban is 105 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 1371.4%.

1881 census count

7

Ranked #32,765

Modern count

103

2016, ranked #30,515

Peak year

2014

105 bearers

Map years

1

2016 to 2016

Key insights

  • Caban had 7 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #32,765 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 103 in 2016, ranked #30,515.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 27 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established Multi-Ethnic Communities.

Caban surname distribution map

The map shows where the Caban surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Caban surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Caban over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 5 #32,456
1861 historical 27 #30,543
1881 historical 7 #32,765
1891 historical 12 #33,181
1901 historical 16 #32,260
1911 historical 22 #31,030
1997 modern 41 #33,552
1998 modern 40 #33,856
1999 modern 40 #33,967
2000 modern 40 #33,976
2001 modern 45 #33,401
2002 modern 44 #33,790
2003 modern 46 #33,710
2004 modern 45 #33,957
2005 modern 49 #33,859
2006 modern 67 #32,532
2007 modern 78 #31,748
2008 modern 84 #31,370
2009 modern 80 #32,277
2010 modern 83 #32,396
2011 modern 84 #32,237
2012 modern 94 #31,258
2013 modern 96 #31,381
2014 modern 105 #30,204
2015 modern 105 #30,092
2016 modern 103 #30,515

Geography

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Where Cabans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cornwall, IZ07 and Sheffield. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cornwall 062 Cornwall
2 Cornwall 063 Cornwall
3 Cornwall 064 Cornwall
4 IZ07 West Dunbartonshire
5 Sheffield 004 Sheffield

Forenames

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First names often paired with Caban

These lists show first names that appear often with the Caban surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Caban

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Caban, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities

Group

Established Multi-Ethnic Communities

Nationally, the Caban surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established Multi-Ethnic Communities, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Caban household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Parents and young children in this Group are drawn from diverse ethnic backgrounds in broadly similar proportions. Employment is typically in elementary occupations, though workers in professional, intermediate or skilled trades occupations are also present. The residential landscape is dominated by terraced housing, although semi-detached houses and flats are also present. This Group is found in London and in many provincial towns and cities throughout the U.K.

Wider pattern

Young adults, many of whom are students, predominate in these high-density and overcrowded neighbourhoods of rented terrace houses or flats. Most ethnic minorities are present in these communities, as are people born in European countries that are not part of the EU. Students aside, low skilled occupations predominate, and unemployment rates are above average. Overall, the mix of students and more sedentary households means that neighbourhood average numbers of children are not very high. The Mixed or Multiple ethnic group composition of neighbourhoods is often associated with low rates of affiliation to Christian religions. This Supergroup predominates in non-central urban locations the UK, particularly within England in the Midlands and the outskirts of west, south and north-east London.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Caban is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Caban is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Caban falls in decile 2 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Caban is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Caban, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Caban

The surname Caban has its origins in the Gaelic language, tracing back to the ancient Celtic people of Ireland and Scotland. It is derived from the word "caban," which means "a small, round hut" or "a cottage." The name likely referred to someone who lived in a humble dwelling or was associated with a particular cottage or hamlet.

In its earliest recorded forms, the name appeared as Cabane, Cabin, and Cabyn in medieval Scottish and Irish records. One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which documented Scottish landowners and nobles who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England.

The surname Caban has a long history in Ireland, particularly in the counties of Donegal, Galway, and Mayo. It is believed that the name was introduced to Ireland during the Plantations of the 16th and 17th centuries, when Scottish settlers brought their surnames to the island. Some early bearers of the name include John Caban, who was born in Donegal around 1610, and Michael Caban, a farmer from County Mayo born in 1678.

In Scotland, the name was particularly prevalent in the Highlands and Islands regions. Notable individuals with the surname Caban include Lachlan Caban, a renowned piper from the Isle of Skye who lived in the late 17th century, and Angus Caban, a soldier in the Jacobite Rising of 1745, who fought alongside Prince Charles Edward Stuart.

As the name spread across the British Isles, it also found its way to England and Wales. One notable English bearer of the name was Sir Robert Caban, a merchant and Member of Parliament for Bristol in the mid-17th century. In Wales, the name was sometimes anglicized to Cabin or Cabbin, as seen in the case of Ieuan Cabbin, a farmer from Pembrokeshire who lived in the late 16th century.

Other notable individuals with the surname Caban throughout history include:

1. Seamus Caban (1755-1835), an Irish poet and storyteller from County Donegal. 2. Alastair Caban (1820-1892), a Scottish explorer and naturalist who traveled extensively in Africa and the Pacific. 3. Margaret Caban (1867-1946), a pioneering Scottish suffragette and advocate for women's rights. 4. Patrick Caban (1901-1976), an Irish-American labor organizer and leader of the United Farm Workers union. 5. Siobhan Caban (born 1972), a contemporary Scottish author and playwright known for her works exploring themes of identity and belonging.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Caban families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Caban surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Lincolnshire leads with 7 Cabans recorded in 1881 and an index of 64.34x.

County Total Index
Lincolnshire 7 64.34x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Holbeach in Lincolnshire leads with 7 Cabans recorded in 1881 and an index of 5833.33x.

Place Total Index
Holbeach 7 5833.33x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Caban surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Martha 1
Susan 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Caban surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Freeman 1
George 1
John 1
Thomas 1
William 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Caban households.

Occupation Count
Scholar 5
Inspector Of Police 1

FAQ

Caban surname: questions and answers

How common was the Caban surname in 1881?

In 1881, 7 people were recorded with the Caban surname. That placed it at #32,765 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Caban surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 103 in 2016. That gives Caban a modern rank of #30,515.

What does the Caban surname mean?

A Breton occupational surname referring to a boatman or mariner.

What does the Caban map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Caban bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.