2000
#9,353
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,197
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.19
Rare Last name
Cancel
An occupational surname for a maker or seller of candles, or a collector of ecclesiastical dues or rents.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,323 Americans carry the last name Cancel. That puts it at #8,415 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.26 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 79,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cancel 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
4.3K
1 in 79,286
Census rank
#8,415
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,770 bearers of the surname Cancel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.26 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8415th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cancel, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 86.5%. The next largest groups are White (10.3%) and Black (1.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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The name "Cancel" also appears in various historical documents from the 16th and 17th centuries, such as parish records and tax rolls.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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cancel
Among Census respondents with the surname Cancel, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 86.5%. The next largest groups are White (10.3%) and Black (1.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Cancel 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 Cancel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino86.5% · 3,261
- White10.3% · 388
- Black or African American1.6% · 61
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 47
- Two or more races0.3% · 12
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cancel
Cancel 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
#8,649
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,801
+604 bearers (+18.9%)
Per 100,000 1.29
Rank movement Up 704 places
2020
#8,415
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,770
-31 bearers (-0.8%)
Per 100,000 1.26
Rank movement Up 234 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,353 | 3,197 | 1.19 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,649 | 3,801 | 1.29 | +604 bearers (+18.9%) | Up 704 places |
| 2020 | #8,415 | 3,770 | 1.26 | -31 bearers (-0.8%) | Up 234 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 Cancel 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 | #8,649 | #8,415 | 2.7% |
| Count | 3,801 | 3,770 | -0.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.29 | 1.26 | -2.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cancel bearers went from 3,801 to 3,770 (-0.8% change). The surname moved up 234 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,649 to #8,415.
FAQ
Cancel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cancel?
Name Census estimates that about 4,323 living Americans carry the surname Cancel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 79,286 residents.
How common is Cancel?
Cancel ranks #8,415 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.26 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 3,770 people with the surname Cancel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,323), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.26 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.26 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 Cancel.
Has Cancel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cancel went from 3,801 recorded bearers to 3,770. That is a decrease of 31 (-0.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #8,649 to #8,415.
What does the Census say about the background of Cancel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cancel, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 86.5%. The next largest groups are White (10.3%) and Black (1.6%). 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 Cancel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.5% (3,261 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cancel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (86.5%), White (10.3%), Black (1.6%). 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 Cancel (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 Cancel mean?
An occupational surname for a maker or seller of candles, or a collector of ecclesiastical dues or rents. 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 Cancel (1.26 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 many Americans have the surname Cancel?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.