2000
#8,557
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,545
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.31
Rare Last name
Canchola
A Spanish habitational surname indicating someone from any of the several places named Canchola in Spain.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,135 Americans carry the last name Canchola. That puts it at #7,195 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.50 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 66,749 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Canchola 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
5.1K
1 in 66,749
Census rank
#7,195
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,478 bearers of the surname Canchola in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.50 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7195th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Canchola, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.3%. The next largest groups are White (6.7%) and Black (0.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Canchola
The surname Canchola originated in Mexico during the colonial period, likely derived from the Spanish word "cancha," which means "court" or "playing field." This suggests that the name may have been associated with a person or family who lived near or owned a court or playing area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Canchola surname can be found in the records of the Spanish Inquisition in Mexico during the 16th and 17th centuries. These documents mention individuals with the surname who were investigated or charged by the Inquisition for various reasons.
The name Canchola is also linked to several notable figures throughout history. One of the earliest was Juan Canchola, a Spanish soldier who participated in the conquest of Mexico alongside Hernán Cortés in the early 16th century. He was awarded land grants in what is now the state of Veracruz for his service.
In the 18th century, Padre José Canchola was a prominent Catholic priest and educator in the city of Puebla. He founded several schools and educational institutions and was known for his efforts to promote education among the indigenous population.
During the Mexican Revolution of the early 20th century, General Ignacio Canchola was a notable military leader who fought alongside Pancho Villa's forces in the northern states of Mexico. He played a crucial role in several battles and campaigns against the federal government.
Another notable figure with the Canchola surname was María Canchola, a renowned singer and performer of traditional Mexican folk music in the mid-20th century. She was celebrated for her performances of ranchera and mariachi music and helped to popularize these genres throughout Mexico and beyond.
In more recent times, César Canchola was a prominent Mexican-American activist and community organizer in Los Angeles, California, who worked to promote civil rights and social justice for the Latino community in the latter half of the 20th century.
While the Canchola surname has its origins in Mexico, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly in areas with significant Mexican and Latin American populations, such as the United States and other parts of North and South America.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Canchola
Among Census respondents with the surname Canchola, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.3%. The next largest groups are White (6.7%) and Black (0.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Canchola 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 Canchola surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino92.3% · 4,134
- White6.7% · 300
- Black or African American0.3% · 15
- Two or more races0.3% · 13
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.2% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Canchola
Canchola 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
#7,035
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,758
+1,213 bearers (+34.2%)
Per 100,000 1.61
Rank movement Up 1,522 places
2020
#7,195
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,478
-280 bearers (-5.9%)
Per 100,000 1.50
Rank movement Down 160 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,557 | 3,545 | 1.31 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,035 | 4,758 | 1.61 | +1,213 bearers (+34.2%) | Up 1,522 places |
| 2020 | #7,195 | 4,478 | 1.50 | -280 bearers (-5.9%) | Down 160 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 Canchola 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 | #7,035 | #7,195 | -2.3% |
| Count | 4,758 | 4,478 | -5.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.61 | 1.50 | -6.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Canchola bearers went from 4,758 to 4,478 (-5.9% change). The surname moved down 160 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,035 to #7,195.
FAQ
Canchola surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Canchola?
Name Census estimates that about 5,135 living Americans carry the surname Canchola. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 66,749 residents.
How common is Canchola?
Canchola ranks #7,195 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.50 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 4,478 people with the surname Canchola. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,135), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.5 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.50 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 Canchola.
Has Canchola become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Canchola went from 4,758 recorded bearers to 4,478. That is a decrease of 280 (-5.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,035 to #7,195.
What does the Census say about the background of Canchola?
Among Census respondents with the surname Canchola, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.3%. The next largest groups are White (6.7%) and Black (0.3%). 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 Canchola in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.3% (4,134 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Canchola appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (92.3%), White (6.7%), Black (0.3%). 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 Canchola (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 Canchola mean?
A Spanish habitational surname indicating someone from any of the several places named Canchola in Spain. 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 Canchola (1.50 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 common is the surname Canchola?
Find out how many Americans have the surname Canchola on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.