2000
#9,374
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,188
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.18
Rare Last name
Canavan
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "O Caomhain," meaning "descendant of Caomhan" (a personal name meaning "gentle" or "beautiful").
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,455 Americans carry the last name Canavan. That puts it at #10,184 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.01 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 99,205 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Canavan 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 Canavan with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.5K
1 in 99,205
Census rank
#10,184
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,013 bearers of the surname Canavan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.01 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10184th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Canavan, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Canavan
Among Census respondents with the surname Canavan, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Canavan 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 Canavan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.4% · 2,754
- Hispanic or Latino4.3% · 131
- Two or more races2.6% · 79
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 26
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 15
- Black or African American0.3% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Canavan
Canavan 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
#9,836
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,290
+102 bearers (+3.2%)
Per 100,000 1.12
Rank movement Down 462 places
2020
#10,184
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,013
-277 bearers (-8.4%)
Per 100,000 1.01
Rank movement Down 348 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,374 | 3,188 | 1.18 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,836 | 3,290 | 1.12 | +102 bearers (+3.2%) | Down 462 places |
| 2020 | #10,184 | 3,013 | 1.01 | -277 bearers (-8.4%) | Down 348 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 Canavan 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 | #9,836 | #10,184 | -3.5% |
| Count | 3,290 | 3,013 | -8.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.12 | 1.01 | -10.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Canavan bearers went from 3,290 to 3,013 (-8.4% change). The surname moved down 348 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,836 to #10,184.
FAQ
Canavan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Canavan?
Name Census estimates that about 3,455 living Americans carry the surname Canavan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 99,205 residents.
How common is Canavan?
Canavan ranks #10,184 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.01 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 3,013 people with the surname Canavan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,455), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.01 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.01 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 Canavan.
Has Canavan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Canavan went from 3,290 recorded bearers to 3,013. That is a decrease of 277 (-8.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,836 to #10,184.
What does the Census say about the background of Canavan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Canavan, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and Two or More Races (2.6%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Canavan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.4% (2,754 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Canavan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.4%), Hispanic (4.3%), Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Canavan (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 Canavan mean?
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "O Caomhain," meaning "descendant of Caomhan" (a personal name meaning "gentle" or "beautiful"). 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 Canavan (1.01 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 Americans have the surname Canavan?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.