2000
#16,802
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,564
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.58
Rare Last name
Canizales
Derived from a place name referring to an area with many reeds or canes, likely of Spanish origin.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,379 Americans carry the last name Canizales. That puts it at #13,921 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.69 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 144,075 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Canizales 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
2.4K
1 in 144,075
Census rank
#13,921
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,075 bearers of the surname Canizales in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.69 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13921st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Canizales, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 95.3%. The next largest groups are White (3.7%) and Black (0.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Canizales
The surname Canizales originates from Spain, likely emerging during the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Spanish word "caña," meaning "cane" or "reed," and the suffix "-al," denoting a place filled with something, in this case, reeds or canes. This suggests the name was initially given to individuals residing in areas abundant with reeds or cane fields.
Historically, the earliest recorded instances of the Canizales surname can be traced back to the 13th century in various Spanish regions, such as Andalusia and Castile. In these regions, the name was often associated with landowners or individuals who worked in the cultivation or harvesting of reeds or canes.
One notable mention of the Canizales surname can be found in the "Repartimiento de Sevilla," a document dating back to 1283, which recorded the distribution of land and properties in the city of Seville after its reconquest from the Moors. This document lists several individuals with the Canizales surname, indicating their presence in the region during that time.
Throughout the centuries, the Canizales surname has been subject to various spelling variations, including Cañizales, Canyizales, and Cañizal, reflecting the regional dialects and linguistic evolution of the Spanish language.
One of the earliest recorded individuals bearing the Canizales surname was Pedro Canizales, a Spanish landowner and agriculturist who lived in the 14th century in the region of Andalusia. Another notable figure was Juana Canizales, a 16th-century Spanish noblewoman known for her philanthropic efforts in the city of Seville.
In the 17th century, the Canizales surname gained prominence with the birth of Diego Canizales y Figueroa (1590-1658), a renowned Spanish painter whose works can be found in various churches and museums across Spain.
Another notable bearer of the Canizales surname was Antonio Canizales (1786-1856), a Spanish military officer who played a significant role in the Peninsular War against the Napoleonic forces in the early 19th century.
The 20th century saw the rise of Fernando Canizales (1901-1988), a Spanish architect renowned for his contributions to the architectural landscape of Madrid, including the design of several iconic buildings and urban planning projects.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Canizales
Among Census respondents with the surname Canizales, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 95.3%. The next largest groups are White (3.7%) and Black (0.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Canizales 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 Canizales surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino95.3% · 1,977
- White3.7% · 76
- Black or African American0.5% · 10
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 6
- Two or more races0.2% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Canizales
Canizales 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
#13,764
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,198
+634 bearers (+40.5%)
Per 100,000 0.75
Rank movement Up 3,038 places
2020
#13,921
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,075
-123 bearers (-5.6%)
Per 100,000 0.69
Rank movement Down 157 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #16,802 | 1,564 | 0.58 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,764 | 2,198 | 0.75 | +634 bearers (+40.5%) | Up 3,038 places |
| 2020 | #13,921 | 2,075 | 0.69 | -123 bearers (-5.6%) | Down 157 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 Canizales 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 | #13,764 | #13,921 | -1.1% |
| Count | 2,198 | 2,075 | -5.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.75 | 0.69 | -7.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Canizales bearers went from 2,198 to 2,075 (-5.6% change). The surname moved down 157 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,764 to #13,921.
FAQ
Canizales surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Canizales?
Name Census estimates that about 2,379 living Americans carry the surname Canizales. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 144,075 residents.
How common is Canizales?
Canizales ranks #13,921 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.69 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 2,075 people with the surname Canizales. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,379), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.69 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.69 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 Canizales.
Has Canizales become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Canizales went from 2,198 recorded bearers to 2,075. That is a decrease of 123 (-5.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,764 to #13,921.
What does the Census say about the background of Canizales?
Among Census respondents with the surname Canizales, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 95.3%. The next largest groups are White (3.7%) and Black (0.5%). 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 Canizales in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.3% (1,977 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Canizales appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (95.3%), White (3.7%), Black (0.5%). 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 Canizales (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 Canizales mean?
Derived from a place name referring to an area with many reeds or canes, likely of Spanish origin. 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 Canizales (0.69 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 Americans have the surname Canizales?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.