This page needs Javascript enabled in order to work properly. Click here for instructions on how to enable it in your browser.
Surname Header Image
Get access to Cable family records.Start a 14-Day Free Trial

Cable Family History

Cable Surname Meaning

English: probably from the personal name Kabell' which may be a survival of Anglo-Saxon Ceadbeald, a compound of an originally Brittonic element cad ‘battle’ + Old English beald ‘brave, bold’. English: metonymic occupational name for a maker of rope, especially the type of stout rope used in maritime applications, from Middle English cable ‘cable’ (from Late Latin capulum ‘halter’, a word of Arabic origin but associated by folk etymology with Latin capere ‘to seize’).

English: metonymic occupational name for a horseman from Middle English cabal ‘horse’. Americanized form of German Göbel (see Goebel) and Köbel (see Koebel) and probably also of some other similar (like-sounding) surname. Compare Kable.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: 

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Cable family from?

You can see how Cable families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Cable family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Cable families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 377 Cable families living in London. This was about 24% of all the recorded Cable's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Cable families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Cable surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
Mapbox
© Mapbox © OpenStreetMap Improve this map

What did your Cable ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Cable. 8% of Cable men worked as a General Labourer and 72% of Cable women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Cable were Gardener and Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Cable | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • General Labourer
    8%
  • Cowman
    6%
  • Bricklayer
    6%
  • Gardener
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    72%
  • Housewife
    3%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Domestic Duties
    2%

What Cable family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 83,000 census records available for the last name Cable. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Cable census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Cable

Passenger Lists

There are 6,000 immigration records available for the last name Cable. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Cable immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 14,000 military records available for the last name Cable. For the veterans among your Cable ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Cable military records

You've only scratched the surface of Cable family history

Discover More

What is the average Cable lifespan?

Between 1950 and 2004, in the United States, Cable life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1950, and highest in 1998. The average life expectancy for Cable in 1950 was 30, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Cable

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Cable ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Cable family tree

Explore Your Tree
Search for another surname
Enter last name/surname
Start a 14-Day Free Trial