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

Canales, 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 Canales surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Canales in America

Canales is the 1462nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Canales surname appeared 24,384 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 8 people would have the surname Canales.

We can also compare 2010 data for Canales 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 Canales

The surname Canales originated in Spain during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Spanish word "canal," which means "channel" or "waterway." This suggests that the name likely referred to someone who lived near a canal or worked in a profession related to canals.

Historically, the Canales surname was most prevalent in the regions of Andalusia, Extremadura, and Castile in Spain. Some of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in medieval documents and records from these areas.

One notable early reference to the Canales surname is found in the "Libro de las Behetrías de Castilla" (Book of the Behetrías of Castile), a 14th-century document that recorded land holdings and feudal rights in the region of Castile. This record mentions individuals with the Canales surname as landowners and vassals.

In the 15th century, a man named Juan Canales was a prominent architect who worked on the construction of the Alcázar of Segovia, a famous royal palace in the city of Segovia, Castile. His contribution to this iconic architectural landmark highlights the historical significance of the Canales name in Spain.

Another noteworthy figure was Diego Canales, a Spanish explorer and navigator who accompanied Christopher Columbus on his second voyage to the Americas in 1493. Canales played a role in the exploration and mapping of the Caribbean islands during this expedition.

During the 16th century, a branch of the Canales family settled in Mexico, where they became prominent landowners and contributed to the development of the region's agriculture and infrastructure.

In the 17th century, a Spanish military officer named Antonio Canales fought in the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648) and rose to the rank of Captain General. His bravery and leadership on the battlefield earned him recognition and honors from the Spanish Crown.

In the 18th century, a notable figure was Ignacio Canales, a Spanish architect and engineer who designed several important public works projects, including bridges and aqueducts, in various parts of Spain.

The Canales surname has also been associated with several place names in Spain, such as Canales de la Sierra in the province of La Rioja, and Canales del Manzanares in the province of Madrid. These place names likely originated from the presence of canals or waterways in those areas, reflecting the connection between the surname and its original meaning.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Canales

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

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

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

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