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

Canaday, 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 Canaday surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Canaday in America

Canaday is the 9375th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Canaday surname appeared 3,470 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Canaday.

We can also compare 2010 data for Canaday 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 Canaday

The surname Canaday is believed to have originated in England, likely in the 13th or 14th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "canu" meaning "bold" or "hardy" and "dæg" meaning "day," potentially referring to someone who was known for their bravery or strength.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Canaday can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Warwickshire, England, from 1327, where it appears as "Caneday." This suggests that the name had already been established in that region by the early 14th century.

During the Middle Ages, variations of the name such as "Canedaye," "Canedey," and "Canedy" were also found in various historical records across different counties in England, including Staffordshire, Derbyshire, and Nottinghamshire.

In the 16th century, the spelling "Canaday" became more prevalent, as evidenced by its appearance in the parish records of St. Nicholas' Church in Warwick, where the christening of a child named John Canaday was recorded in 1562.

One notable bearer of the Canaday surname was Sir Thomas Canaday (1548-1619), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Stratford-upon-Avon, who served as the High Sheriff of Warwickshire in 1589. He was a contemporary of William Shakespeare and is believed to have been acquainted with the famous playwright.

Another prominent figure was Sir Robert Canaday (1622-1691), a member of the English gentry and a prominent Royalist during the English Civil War. He fought alongside King Charles I and was knighted for his service in 1644.

In the 18th century, the Canaday family expanded beyond England, with some members emigrating to the American colonies. One notable descendant was Reverend Jacob Canaday (1726-1804), a Baptist minister and pioneer who settled in Virginia and played a significant role in the early establishment of churches in the region.

During the 19th century, the name Canaday continued to spread across the United States and other parts of the English-speaking world. One notable figure from this period was William Canaday (1841-1915), a Union Army veteran who fought in the American Civil War and later served as a congressman from Ohio.

Another prominent individual was Mary Canaday Hale (1873-1962), an American educator and suffragist who advocated for women's rights and played a crucial role in the establishment of several educational institutions in her home state of Pennsylvania.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Canaday

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

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 Canaday 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 Canaday 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 Canaday was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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