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

Cane, 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 Cane surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Cane in America

Cane is the 11988th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Cane surname appeared 2,605 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 Cane.

We can also compare 2010 data for Cane 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 Cane

The surname Cane originated in England during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "cane," which means "reed" or "cane plant." This suggests that the name may have been used as a descriptive surname for someone who lived near reeds or marshlands.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Cane can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Cana" and "Cane." These early spellings indicate that the name was already established in various parts of England by the late 11th century.

During the 13th century, the name Cane appeared in various historical records, such as the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire in 1273, where it was recorded as "Cane." This suggests that the name was widespread across different regions of England by this time.

In the 14th century, the name Cane was found in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire, where it was recorded as "Cane" in 1317. This provides evidence of the name's presence in northern England during this period.

One notable bearer of the surname Cane was John Cane, a 15th-century English scholar and theologian who lived from around 1430 to 1486. He was a fellow of New College, Oxford, and served as the Chancellor of the University of Oxford from 1481 to 1486.

Another individual with the surname Cane was Sir Clement Cane, a 16th-century English politician and landowner who lived from around 1515 to 1582. He served as a Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire and played a role in the English Reformation.

In the 17th century, the surname Cane was associated with various place names, such as Canefield in Derbyshire and Canefields in Somerset. These place names may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname in different regions.

One notable bearer of the surname Cane in the 18th century was John Cane, a British naval officer who lived from 1726 to 1806. He served in the Royal Navy during the American Revolutionary War and the French Revolutionary Wars, and was eventually promoted to the rank of Vice Admiral.

In the 19th century, the surname Cane was found in various parts of England, as well as in other English-speaking countries due to migration and immigration. One notable individual with this surname was Sir Michael Cane, a British politician and barrister who lived from 1835 to 1912. He served as the Solicitor General for England and Wales from 1886 to 1892.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Cane

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

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

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

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