2000
#12,311
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,316
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.86
Rare Last name
Candler
An occupational surname referring to a person who made or sold candles.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,655 Americans carry the last name Candler. That puts it at #12,731 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.77 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 129,098 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Candler 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 Candler with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.7K
1 in 129,098
Census rank
#12,731
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,315 bearers of the surname Candler in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.77 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12731st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Candler, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.7%. The next largest groups are Black (21.0%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Candler
The surname Candler has its origins in England and is believed to have derived from the Old English word "candel," meaning "candle." This surname was initially adopted as an occupational name for individuals who were involved in the production or selling of candles.
The earliest recorded instances of the Candler surname can be traced back to the late 12th century in various regions of England, including Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Suffolk. In the Hundred Rolls of 1273, a record from the time of King Edward I, the name is listed as "Candeler" and "Candeler le candelmaker."
During the medieval period, the Candler surname appeared in several historical documents and records, such as the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1210, where a William Candeler is mentioned. The Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327 also include a reference to a John Candeler.
One notable individual bearing the Candler surname was Robert Candler (c. 1460 - c. 1540), a prominent English composer and musician during the Renaissance period. He served as a Gentleman of the Chapel Royal under King Henry VIII and contributed to the Eton Choirbook, a significant collection of English sacred music from the early 16th century.
Another noteworthy figure was Robert Candlish (1806 - 1873), a Scottish minister and theologian who played a significant role in the Disruption of 1843, which led to the formation of the Free Church of Scotland. He was a renowned preacher and author, publishing numerous works on theology and church history.
In the United States, the Candler name gained prominence through the entrepreneurial success of Asa Griggs Candler (1851 - 1929), a businessman and philanthropist best known for acquiring and popularizing the Coca-Cola brand. He also founded Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, and played a vital role in the city's development.
Other individuals bearing the Candler surname include Edward Candler (1874 - 1953), an English cricketer who played for Oxford University and Kent County Cricket Club, and John Candler (1787 - 1869), an English architect who designed numerous churches and public buildings in London and the surrounding areas.
While the Candler surname has its roots in England, it has since spread to various parts of the world, with notable bearers across different fields, reflecting the diverse and rich history associated with this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Candler
Among Census respondents with the surname Candler, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.7%. The next largest groups are Black (21.0%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Candler 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 Candler surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White69.7% · 1,614
- Black or African American21.0% · 487
- Two or more races4.8% · 111
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 83
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 11
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Candler
Candler 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
#12,889
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,386
+70 bearers (+3.0%)
Per 100,000 0.81
Rank movement Down 578 places
2020
#12,731
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,315
-71 bearers (-3.0%)
Per 100,000 0.77
Rank movement Up 158 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,311 | 2,316 | 0.86 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,889 | 2,386 | 0.81 | +70 bearers (+3.0%) | Down 578 places |
| 2020 | #12,731 | 2,315 | 0.77 | -71 bearers (-3.0%) | Up 158 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 Candler 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 | #12,889 | #12,731 | 1.2% |
| Count | 2,386 | 2,315 | -3.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.81 | 0.77 | -4.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Candler bearers went from 2,386 to 2,315 (-3.0% change). The surname moved up 158 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,889 to #12,731.
FAQ
Candler surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Candler?
Name Census estimates that about 2,655 living Americans carry the surname Candler. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 129,098 residents.
How common is Candler?
Candler ranks #12,731 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.77 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 2,315 people with the surname Candler. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,655), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.77 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.77 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 Candler.
Has Candler become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Candler went from 2,386 recorded bearers to 2,315. That is a decrease of 71 (-3.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #12,889 to #12,731.
What does the Census say about the background of Candler?
Among Census respondents with the surname Candler, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.7%. The next largest groups are Black (21.0%) and Two or More Races (4.8%). 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 Candler in the 2020 Census, accounting for 69.7% (1,614 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Candler appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (69.7%), Black (21.0%), Two or More Races (4.8%). 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 Candler (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 Candler mean?
An occupational surname referring to a person who made or sold candles. 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 Candler (0.77 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 people are called Candler?
If you just want to know how many people are called Candler, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.