2010
#160,975
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Canelos
A Spanish surname derived from the word "canela" meaning cinnamon.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Canelos. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Canelos 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
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Canelos in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Canelos, the largest self-reported group is White at 48.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (46.8%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Canelos
The surname CANELOS is believed to have originated in Spain during the medieval period, deriving from the Spanish word "cañela," which means "cinnamon." This connection suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone involved in the spice trade or the cultivation of cinnamon.
CANELOS is thought to have roots in the Andalusia region of southern Spain, particularly in the provinces of Cádiz and Málaga. It is possible that the name was initially associated with a specific location or village where cinnamon was grown or traded.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the CANELOS surname appears in the 15th century, when a merchant named Juan de CANELOS is mentioned in a document from the city of Seville. This document, dated 1473, indicates that Juan was involved in the importation of spices from the East Indies.
In the 16th century, the CANELOS name appears in various records from the Spanish colonies in the Americas, suggesting that some individuals bearing this surname participated in the exploration and settlement of the New World.
A notable figure with the CANELOS surname was Captain Pedro de CANELOS, a Spanish conquistador who participated in the conquest of Peru in the 1530s. Pedro was born in Seville in 1498 and accompanied Francisco Pizarro on his expeditions to the Inca Empire.
Another historical figure was Fray Tomás de CANELOS, a Spanish monk and missionary who lived in the late 16th century. Fray Tomás traveled to the Philippines and is credited with establishing several missions and converting many indigenous peoples to Christianity.
In the 17th century, the CANELOS name appears in records from the Spanish colonial city of Cartagena de Indias, located in present-day Colombia. A prominent individual from this era was Diego de CANELOS, a wealthy merchant and landowner who played a significant role in the city's economic and political affairs.
Moving into the 18th century, a notable figure was Ignacio de CANELOS, a Spanish military officer who served in the Spanish Army during the War of the Quadruple Alliance (1718-1720) against France, Britain, and the Dutch Republic.
Finally, in the 19th century, one of the most well-known individuals with the CANELOS surname was Catalina de CANELOS, a Spanish writer and poet born in Málaga in 1825. Catalina was celebrated for her lyrical works that celebrated the beauty of her native Andalusia.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Canelos
Among Census respondents with the surname Canelos, the largest self-reported group is White at 48.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (46.8%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Canelos 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 Canelos surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White48.6% · 53
- Hispanic or Latino46.8% · 51
- Two or more races3.7% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Canelos
Canelos appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
+9 bearers (+9.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 10,770 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #160,975 | 100 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | +9 bearers (+9.0%) | Up 10,770 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 Canelos 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 | #160,975 | #150,205 | 6.7% |
| Count | 100 | 109 | 9.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 21.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Canelos bearers went from 100 to 109 (+9.0% change). The surname moved up 10,770 positions in the national ranking, going from #160,975 to #150,205.
FAQ
Canelos surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Canelos?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Canelos. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Canelos?
Canelos ranks #150,205 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 109 people with the surname Canelos. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Canelos.
Has Canelos become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Canelos went from 100 recorded bearers to 109. That is an increase of 9 (+9.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #160,975 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Canelos?
Among Census respondents with the surname Canelos, the largest self-reported group is White at 48.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (46.8%) and Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Canelos in the 2020 Census, accounting for 48.6% (53 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Canelos appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (48.6%), Hispanic (46.8%), Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Canelos (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 Canelos mean?
A Spanish surname derived from the word "canela" meaning cinnamon. 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 Canelos (0.04 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 Canelos?
Find out how many people have the last name Canelos on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.