2000
#1,897
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 17,381
First available Census row
Per 100,000 6.44
Uncommon Last name
Canales
A surname of Spanish origin referring to someone who lived near channels, trenches, or irrigation canals.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 28,302 Americans carry the last name Canales. That puts it at #1,402 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 8.26 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 12,111 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Canales 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
28K
1 in 12,111
Census rank
#1,402
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
8.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
25K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 24,681 bearers of the surname Canales in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 8.26 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1402nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Canales, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 91.8%. The next largest groups are White (6.4%) and Black (0.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Canales
Among Census respondents with the surname Canales, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 91.8%. The next largest groups are White (6.4%) and Black (0.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Canales 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 Canales surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino91.8% · 22,658
- White6.4% · 1,577
- Black or African American0.6% · 155
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 144
- Two or more races0.4% · 103
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 44
Timeline
Historical Census data for Canales
Canales 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
#1,462
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 24,384
+7,003 bearers (+40.3%)
Per 100,000 8.27
Rank movement Up 435 places
2020
#1,402
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 24,681
+297 bearers (+1.2%)
Per 100,000 8.26
Rank movement Up 60 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,897 | 17,381 | 6.44 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,462 | 24,384 | 8.27 | +7,003 bearers (+40.3%) | Up 435 places |
| 2020 | #1,402 | 24,681 | 8.26 | +297 bearers (+1.2%) | Up 60 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 Canales 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 | #1,462 | #1,402 | 4.1% |
| Count | 24,384 | 24,681 | 1.2% |
| Per 100K | 8.27 | 8.26 | -0.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Canales bearers went from 24,384 to 24,681 (+1.2% change). The surname moved up 60 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,462 to #1,402.
FAQ
Canales surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Canales?
Name Census estimates that about 28,302 living Americans carry the surname Canales. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 12,111 residents.
How common is Canales?
Canales ranks #1,402 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 8.26 per 100,000 residents, which is about 8 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 24,681 people with the surname Canales. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (28,302), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 8.26 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 8.26 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 8 of them to have the surname Canales.
Has Canales become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Canales went from 24,384 recorded bearers to 24,681. That is an increase of 297 (+1.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #1,462 to #1,402.
What does the Census say about the background of Canales?
Among Census respondents with the surname Canales, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 91.8%. The next largest groups are White (6.4%) and Black (0.6%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Canales in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.8% (22,658 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Canales appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (91.8%), White (6.4%), Black (0.6%). 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 Canales (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 Canales mean?
A surname of Spanish origin referring to someone who lived near channels, trenches, or irrigation canals. 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 Canales (8.26 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 Canales?
Want to know how many people are called Canales? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.