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

Canal, 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 Canal surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Canal in America

Canal is the 22618th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Canal surname appeared 1,135 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Canal.

We can also compare 2010 data for Canal 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 Canal

The surname Canal is of Spanish origin, with its roots tracing back to the medieval period in Spain. The name is derived from the Spanish word "canal," which refers to a man-made waterway or channel used for transportation or irrigation purposes.

The earliest recorded instances of the Canal surname can be found in historical documents from the 13th century, particularly in regions of Spain such as Catalonia and Valencia, where the construction of canals played a significant role in agricultural development.

In the 14th century, the Canal surname appeared in the Libro de la Cadena, a historical record of noble families in the Kingdom of Aragon. This suggests that some individuals bearing this surname held positions of prominence or nobility during that time.

One notable figure with the Canal surname was Pedro Canal, a Spanish soldier and explorer who participated in the conquest of the Canary Islands in the 15th century. He played a crucial role in the subjugation of the indigenous Guanche people and the establishment of Spanish rule over the islands.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Canal surname spread across various regions of Spain, and some individuals with this name migrated to the Spanish colonies in the Americas, contributing to the dissemination of the surname in the New World.

In the 18th century, Juan Canal, a Spanish architect and military engineer, gained recognition for his contributions to the design and construction of fortifications and military structures in Spain and its territories.

Another prominent individual with the Canal surname was Ramón Canal y Arriola, a Spanish military officer and politician who served as the Governor of Puerto Rico from 1847 to 1851. He played a significant role in the development and administration of the island during his tenure.

As the Canal surname spread across Spain and its colonies, it evolved into various spellings and variations, such as Canale, Canales, and Canali, reflecting regional linguistic influences and adaptations.

It is worth noting that the surname Canal may also have originated independently in other regions or languages, such as Italian or French, where it could have derived from similar meanings related to waterways or canals. However, the focus of this report is specifically on the Spanish origin and history of the Canal surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Canal

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

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

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

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