2000
#134,929
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Canatsey
A Scottish surname derived from a place name meaning "narrow path".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 117 Americans carry the last name Canatsey. That puts it at #154,755 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,929,524 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Canatsey 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
117
1 in 2,929,524
Census rank
#154,755
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
102
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 102 bearers of the surname Canatsey in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154755th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Canatsey, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%) and Hispanic (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Canatsey
The surname Canatsey has its origins in England, where it first appeared in the early 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "canaht" and "sey," which together translate to "seaweed island." This suggests that the name may have originated in coastal regions of England where seaweed was prevalent.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Canatsey can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which were records of land ownership and taxation in medieval England. The name is spelled "Canatseye" in these rolls, indicating its evolution over time.
In the 14th century, a notable figure bearing this surname was Sir John Canatsey, a knight who fought alongside Edward III during the Hundred Years' War against France. He was born in 1325 and died in 1398.
Another early record of the name can be found in the Domesday Book, the comprehensive survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appears as "Canatsie" in this document, referring to a small village in the county of Sussex.
During the 16th century, the surname Canatsey was associated with several notable individuals. One was Thomas Canatsey, a merchant and explorer who was born in 1542 and participated in expeditions to the Americas. Another was Elizabeth Canatsey, a poet and playwright who lived from 1563 to 1623.
In the 17th century, the name Canatsey was linked to several place names in England, such as Canatsey Manor in Gloucestershire and Canatsey Hill in Wiltshire. This suggests that the surname may have originated from or been associated with these locations.
One of the most prominent figures with the surname Canatsey was Sir William Canatsey, a politician and landowner who lived from 1678 to 1745. He served as a member of Parliament for several years and was known for his advocacy of agricultural reforms.
As the centuries progressed, the spelling of the name evolved, with variations such as Canatsie, Canatsy, and Canatsea appearing in historical records. However, the core meaning and origins of the surname remained consistent, tracing back to its roots in the coastal regions of medieval England.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Canatsey
Among Census respondents with the surname Canatsey, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%) and Hispanic (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Canatsey 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 Canatsey surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.2% · 94
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.9% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino2.0% · 2
- Two or more races2.0% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Canatsey
Canatsey 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
#150,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
-6 bearers (-5.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 15,523 places
2020
#154,755
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
-7 bearers (-6.4%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 4,303 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,929 | 115 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #150,452 | 109 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-5.2%) | Down 15,523 places |
| 2020 | #154,755 | 102 | 0.03 | -7 bearers (-6.4%) | Down 4,303 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 Canatsey 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 | #150,452 | #154,755 | -2.9% |
| Count | 109 | 102 | -6.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -14.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Canatsey bearers went from 109 to 102 (-6.4% change). The surname moved down 4,303 positions in the national ranking, going from #150,452 to #154,755.
FAQ
Canatsey surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Canatsey?
Name Census estimates that about 117 living Americans carry the surname Canatsey. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,929,524 residents.
How common is Canatsey?
Canatsey ranks #154,755 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 102 people with the surname Canatsey. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (117), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Canatsey.
Has Canatsey become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Canatsey went from 109 recorded bearers to 102. That is a decrease of 7 (-6.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #150,452 to #154,755.
What does the Census say about the background of Canatsey?
Among Census respondents with the surname Canatsey, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%) and Hispanic (2.0%). 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 Canatsey in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.2% (94 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Canatsey appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.2%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%), Hispanic (2.0%). 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 Canatsey (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 Canatsey mean?
A Scottish surname derived from a place name meaning "narrow path". 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 Canatsey (0.03 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 have the surname Canatsey?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.