2000
#8,945
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,361
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.25
Rare Last name
Canaday
A locational surname derived from a place called Canaday or Kennedy, likely in Scotland or Ireland.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,729 Americans carry the last name Canaday. That puts it at #9,557 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.09 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 91,916 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Canaday surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
3.7K
1 in 91,916
Census rank
#9,557
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,252 bearers of the surname Canaday in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.09 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9557th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Canaday, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.4%. The next largest groups are Black (7.0%) and Two or More Races (5.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Canaday
Among Census respondents with the surname Canaday, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.4%. The next largest groups are Black (7.0%) and Two or More Races (5.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Canaday bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Canaday surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.4% · 2,648
- Black or African American7.0% · 228
- Two or more races5.2% · 170
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 120
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.6% · 51
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 35
Timeline
Historical Census data for Canaday
Canaday appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#9,375
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,470
+109 bearers (+3.2%)
Per 100,000 1.18
Rank movement Down 430 places
2020
#9,557
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,252
-218 bearers (-6.3%)
Per 100,000 1.09
Rank movement Down 182 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,945 | 3,361 | 1.25 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,375 | 3,470 | 1.18 | +109 bearers (+3.2%) | Down 430 places |
| 2020 | #9,557 | 3,252 | 1.09 | -218 bearers (-6.3%) | Down 182 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Canaday surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #9,375 | #9,557 | -1.9% |
| Count | 3,470 | 3,252 | -6.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.18 | 1.09 | -7.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Canaday bearers went from 3,470 to 3,252 (-6.3% change). The surname moved down 182 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,375 to #9,557.
FAQ
Canaday surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Canaday?
Name Census estimates that about 3,729 living Americans carry the surname Canaday. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 91,916 residents.
How common is Canaday?
Canaday ranks #9,557 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.09 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,252 people with the surname Canaday. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,729), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.09 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.09 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Canaday.
Has Canaday become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Canaday went from 3,470 recorded bearers to 3,252. That is a decrease of 218 (-6.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,375 to #9,557.
What does the Census say about the background of Canaday?
Among Census respondents with the surname Canaday, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.4%. The next largest groups are Black (7.0%) and Two or More Races (5.2%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Canaday in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.4% (2,648 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Canaday appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (81.4%), Black (7.0%), Two or More Races (5.2%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Canaday (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Canaday mean?
A locational surname derived from a place called Canaday or Kennedy, likely in Scotland or Ireland. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Canaday (1.09 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Canaday?
If you just want to know how common the surname Canaday is, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.