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

Canil, 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 Canil surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Canil in America

Canil is the 96799th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Canil surname appeared 188 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Canil.

The history of the last name Canil

The surname "CANIL" is believed to have originated in the Iberian Peninsula, specifically in the regions of Portugal and Spain, during the Middle Ages. This name is derived from the Latin word "canis," meaning "dog," which suggests that the earliest bearers of this surname may have been associated with occupations or activities related to dogs, such as hunting, breeding, or training.

One of the earliest recorded instances of this surname can be found in the "Livro Velho de Linhagens" (Old Book of Lineages), a 13th-century Portuguese genealogical manuscript. This document mentions a certain Rodrigo Canil, who was a knight in the service of King Afonso III of Portugal (1210-1279).

Another notable figure from history bearing this surname was Juan Canil, a Spanish merchant and explorer who sailed with Christopher Columbus on his second voyage to the Americas in 1493. Juan Canil is believed to have settled in the Caribbean island of Hispaniola (now Haiti and the Dominican Republic) and played a role in the early colonization efforts there.

In the 16th century, a branch of the Canil family migrated to the Spanish colonies in the Americas, particularly to present-day Mexico and Peru. One prominent individual from this lineage was Pedro Canil (born circa 1525), a Spanish conquistador who participated in the conquest of Peru under Francisco Pizarro. Pedro Canil later became an encomendero (holder of an encomienda, a type of land grant) in the Peruvian Andes.

Another significant figure was Álvaro Canil (1570-1640), a Portuguese military officer and colonial administrator who served as the Governor of Portuguese India from 1623 to 1629. During his tenure, he oversaw the construction of several fortifications and played a crucial role in defending Portuguese territories against Dutch and English colonial rivals.

The Canil surname can also be traced back to the region of Galicia in northwestern Spain, where it may have evolved from the Galician placename "Canillejas" or "Canilleiras," which are derived from the Latin word "canalis," meaning "channel" or "conduit." This suggests that some bearers of the Canil surname may have originated from these areas or had ancestors associated with waterways or irrigation systems.

While the Canil surname is not among the most common surnames globally, it continues to be present in various parts of the Iberian Peninsula, Latin America, and other regions influenced by Portuguese and Spanish colonization and migration patterns.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Canil

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

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 Canil 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.

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

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

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