2000
#12,426
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,291
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.85
Rare Last name
Canale
An Italian toponymic surname referring to someone who lived near a canal or channel.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,501 Americans carry the last name Canale. That puts it at #13,364 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.73 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 137,047 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Canale 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Canale with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.5K
1 in 137,047
Census rank
#13,364
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,181 bearers of the surname Canale in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.73 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13364th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Canale, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.2%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Canale
The surname Canale originates from Italy and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Italian word "canale," meaning "canal" or "channel," suggesting that the name may have been adopted by those living near a canal or waterway.
Canale is a common surname found in various regions of Italy, particularly in the northern regions such as Piedmont, Lombardy, and Veneto. The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in medieval documents from these areas, often referring to individuals involved in the construction or maintenance of canals.
One of the earliest documented references to the name Canale can be found in the "Codice Diplomatico Longobardo," a collection of documents from the Lombard period in Italy, dating back to the 8th century. The name appeared in records related to land ownership and legal transactions.
In the 14th century, a notable figure bearing the name Canale was Cristoforo Canale, a Venetian navigator and explorer who participated in several voyages to the Mediterranean and the Black Sea regions. His travels and contributions were documented in various chronicles and historical accounts.
During the Renaissance period, several individuals with the surname Canale made their mark in the arts and literature. Giovanni Canale (1515-1583) was a renowned Italian painter and architect from Verona, known for his frescoes and architectural works in churches and palaces across northern Italy.
Another notable figure was Antonio Canale (1769-1822), better known as Canaletto, a famous Venetian painter renowned for his landscapes and cityscapes depicting the canals and architectural landmarks of Venice. His works are celebrated for their meticulous attention to detail and are considered iconic representations of the city's grandeur.
In the 19th century, Gerolamo Canale (1825-1896) was an Italian historian and writer who authored several works on the history of Venice and its influential families. His book "Storia della Repubblica di Venezia" (History of the Republic of Venice) is considered a significant contribution to the study of Venetian history.
Throughout history, the surname Canale has been associated with various professions and occupations, including navigators, engineers, artists, and writers, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of those bearing this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Canale
Among Census respondents with the surname Canale, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.2%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Canale 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 Canale surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.4% · 1,907
- Hispanic or Latino8.2% · 179
- Two or more races3.2% · 70
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 15
- Black or African American0.4% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Canale
Canale 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
#12,850
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,396
+105 bearers (+4.6%)
Per 100,000 0.81
Rank movement Down 424 places
2020
#13,364
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,181
-215 bearers (-9.0%)
Per 100,000 0.73
Rank movement Down 514 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,426 | 2,291 | 0.85 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,850 | 2,396 | 0.81 | +105 bearers (+4.6%) | Down 424 places |
| 2020 | #13,364 | 2,181 | 0.73 | -215 bearers (-9.0%) | Down 514 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 Canale 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 | #12,850 | #13,364 | -4.0% |
| Count | 2,396 | 2,181 | -9.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.81 | 0.73 | -9.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Canale bearers went from 2,396 to 2,181 (-9.0% change). The surname moved down 514 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,850 to #13,364.
FAQ
Canale surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Canale?
Name Census estimates that about 2,501 living Americans carry the surname Canale. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 137,047 residents.
How common is Canale?
Canale ranks #13,364 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.73 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 2,181 people with the surname Canale. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,501), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.73 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.73 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 Canale.
Has Canale become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Canale went from 2,396 recorded bearers to 2,181. That is a decrease of 215 (-9.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,850 to #13,364.
What does the Census say about the background of Canale?
Among Census respondents with the surname Canale, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.2%) and Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Canale in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.4% (1,907 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Canale appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.4%), Hispanic (8.2%), Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Canale (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 Canale mean?
An Italian toponymic surname referring to someone who lived near a canal or channel. 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 Canale (0.73 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 many people share the surname Canale?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.