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

Cannady, 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 Cannady surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Cannady in America

Cannady is the 6548th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Cannady surname appeared 5,172 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Cannady.

We can also compare 2010 data for Cannady 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 Cannady

The surname Cannady is believed to have originated in England, with roots tracing back to the Anglo-Saxon period (5th to 11th centuries). It is derived from the Old English word "cana," meaning a can or a cup, and the suffix "-ede," indicating a place or locality. This suggests that the name may have referred to an area where cans or cups were made, or a place associated with the trade or production of such items.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book, a survey of land ownership commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The entry "Ricardus de Canadia" appears in the section for Oxfordshire, indicating the presence of an individual with a similar name in that region during the late 11th century.

In the 13th century, records show a "Johannes de Canedye" in the county of Hertfordshire, while a "William Canedey" is mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1292. These variations in spelling, such as Canedye and Canedey, were common during this period due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions.

Notable individuals bearing the surname Cannady include:

1. John Cannady (c. 1550-1630), an English merchant and landowner from Devonshire, known for his involvement in the wool trade.

2. Elizabeth Cannady (1629-1695), a prominent Puritan woman from Massachusetts Bay Colony, who was tried and acquitted during the Salem Witch Trials.

3. William Cannady (1750-1823), a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the American Revolutionary War and the Napoleonic Wars.

4. Mary Cannady (1810-1890), an American abolitionist and activist from North Carolina, known for her work in the Underground Railroad.

5. James Cannady (1867-1942), an African American educator and civil rights activist from Mississippi, who co-founded the Piney Woods Country Life School.

The name Cannady has also been associated with various place names throughout history, such as Cannady's Mill in Virginia, which was named after a local landowner in the 18th century, and Cannady Creek in North Carolina, named after an early settler in the region.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Cannady

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

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

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

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