Find out how popular the last name Canada is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Canada.

Canada, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Canada surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Canada in America

Canada is the 3616th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Canada surname appeared 9,819 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Canada.

We can also compare 2010 data for Canada to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Canada

The surname CANADA is thought to have originated in the northern region of Spain, specifically in the provinces of Cantabria and Asturias. The name likely derives from the Iberian word "canda," which means "rock" or "cliff." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this surname may have lived near or come from an area with prominent rock formations or cliffs.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname CANADA can be found in the Becerro de las Behetrías, a medieval census document from the 14th century that listed landowners and their properties in the Crown of Castile. In this record, the name appears as "Canda," which was likely an early spelling variation.

During the 15th century, the surname CANADA started to appear more frequently in various historical records from northern Spain. Notable individuals from this time period include Pedro de Canada (born circa 1420), a merchant from Santander, and Juan de Canada (1475-1540), a renowned navigator and explorer who accompanied Christopher Columbus on his second voyage to the Americas.

As the Spanish Empire expanded, the surname CANADA spread to other parts of Europe and eventually to the Americas. In the 16th century, Miguel de Canada (1510-1580) was a Spanish soldier and conquistador who participated in the conquest of Peru under Francisco Pizarro.

In the 17th century, the surname CANADA can be found in records from the Spanish colonies in the Americas. One notable figure was Alonso de Canada (1625-1690), a wealthy landowner and rancher in New Spain (present-day Mexico).

Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, the surname CANADA continued to be present in various parts of the Spanish-speaking world. Notable individuals include José María Canada (1765-1835), a Spanish military officer and politician who fought in the Napoleonic Wars, and Mariano Canada (1820-1890), a Mexican lawyer and politician who served as governor of the state of Jalisco.

While the surname CANADA is most commonly associated with the country of Canada, it is important to note that the name predates the European exploration and colonization of North America. The country's name, which derives from the Iroquoian word "kanata" meaning "village" or "settlement," is a separate and unrelated origin.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Canada

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Canada.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Canada was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Canada has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Canada was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Canada, please contact us.

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