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

Cancel, 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 Cancel surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Cancel in America

Cancel is the 8649th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Cancel surname appeared 3,801 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 Cancel.

We can also compare 2010 data for Cancel 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 Cancel

The surname "Cancel" is believed to have originated in Spain during the medieval period. It is derived from the Latin word "cancelli," which means "lattice" or "gate." This suggests that the name may have been associated with a family or individual who lived near a gate or lattice in a fortified town or castle.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "Cancel" can be found in the Libro de las Behetrias de Castilla, a 14th-century document that records the names of landowners and their properties in the region of Castile, Spain. This document mentions a certain "Pedro Cancel" who held lands in the village of Villafranca.

In the 15th century, there are records of a "Juan Cancel" who served as a soldier in the army of King Ferdinand II of Aragon during the conquest of Granada, the last Moorish stronghold in Spain. Juan Cancel is believed to have been rewarded with land for his service, which may have contributed to the establishment of the name in the region.

The name "Cancel" also appears in various historical documents from the 16th and 17th centuries, such as parish records and tax rolls. One notable individual was Alonso Cancel (1528-1599), a Spanish sailor and explorer who accompanied Juan de la Cosa on his voyages to the Caribbean and the coasts of Central and South America.

In the 18th century, a branch of the Cancel family emigrated from Spain to the Americas, particularly to the Spanish colonies in Mexico and Cuba. One prominent figure from this era was Francisco Cancel (1743-1815), a Cuban landowner and politician who served as a member of the Ayuntamiento de La Habana (City Council of Havana).

Another notable individual was Miguel Cancel (1820-1892), a Puerto Rican poet and journalist who played a significant role in the island's literary and cultural life during the 19th century. His works, including the poem "La Palma del Guanchinango," reflected the struggles and aspirations of the Puerto Rican people under Spanish colonial rule.

As the Cancel family spread across various regions, variations in the spelling of the name emerged, including "Cansell," "Cancell," and "Cancelle." However, the original Spanish spelling of "Cancel" remained the most prevalent throughout history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Cancel

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

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

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

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