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

Canavan, 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 Canavan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Canavan in America

Canavan is the 9836th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Canavan surname appeared 3,290 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Canavan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Canavan 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 Canavan

The surname Canavan has its origins in Ireland and is believed to have emerged during the medieval period. It is a variant of the Gaelic name O'Canavan, which is derived from the Irish word "canamnach," meaning "wolf-like" or "fierce."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Canavan name can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a historical chronicle compiled in the 17th century, which mentions a member of the O'Canavan clan named Ferghal O'Canavan who lived in the 14th century.

The Canavan name was particularly concentrated in the counties of Longford and Westmeath, where the O'Canavan clan held significant influence and territories. The name was also found in other parts of Ireland, including County Cavan, which may have contributed to its alternative spellings, such as Cavanagh or Kavanaugh.

Notable individuals with the Canavan surname include:

1. John Canavan (1785-1860), an Irish politician and member of the United Kingdom Parliament for the constituency of Westmeath from 1832 to 1852.

2. Michael Canavan (1796-1879), an Irish Catholic priest and educator who founded several schools in Ireland and served as the parish priest of Banagher, County Offaly.

3. Mary Canavan (1858-1937), an Irish-American labor activist and suffragist who played a significant role in the labor movement in New York City during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

4. Edward Canavan (1879-1959), an American lawyer and judge who served as a justice on the New York Supreme Court from 1931 to 1949.

5. Gregor Canavan (born 1967), an Irish film director and screenwriter known for his work on films such as "Life for Rent" and "Calvary."

While the Canavan surname has its roots in Ireland, it has since spread across the globe, with individuals bearing this name found in various parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, Australia, and other countries with significant Irish diaspora populations.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Canavan

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

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

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

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