2000
#8,010
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,820
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.42
Rare Last name
Canning
An English occupational surname for someone who worked as a maker or seller of cans and containers.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,411 Americans carry the last name Canning. That puts it at #8,252 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.29 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 77,704 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Canning 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Canning with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.4K
1 in 77,704
Census rank
#8,252
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,847 bearers of the surname Canning in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.29 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8252nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Canning, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Canning
The surname Canning is of English origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval period. It is thought to have originated as a locational name, derived from the village of Canning in Somerset, England. The name of the village itself is believed to come from the Old English word "canning," meaning "royal messenger" or "king's messenger."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Canning surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Caninga." This version of the name likely refers to the inhabitants of the village of Canning, suggesting that the surname was already in use by the late 11th century.
In the 13th century, records show a William de Canynges, who was a prominent merchant and benefactor in Bristol, England. He played a significant role in the city's development and was instrumental in the construction of several notable buildings, including the Church of St. Mary Redcliffe.
Another notable figure with the Canning surname was George Canning, born in 1770, who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1827 until his death later that year. He is remembered for his role in the abolition of the slave trade and his efforts to promote political reform.
In the 18th century, the Canning family established itself as a powerful political dynasty in Britain. Charles John Canning, born in 1812, was a British statesman and served as the Governor-General of India from 1856 to 1862. His son, Henry John Canning, born in 1847, followed in his footsteps and had a distinguished career in the British Foreign Office.
The name Canning also appears in various other historical records, such as the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it is spelled "Canynges," and the Subsidy Rolls of 1327, where it appears as "Canynge." These variations in spelling were common during the medieval and early modern periods, as standardized spelling conventions were not yet established.
Other notable individuals with the Canning surname include Stratford Canning, born in 1786, a British diplomat who served as the Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, and Charles John Canning, born in 1809, who served as the Governor-General of India from 1858 to 1862.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Canning
Among Census respondents with the surname Canning, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Canning 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 Canning surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.0% · 3,461
- Two or more races3.6% · 140
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 134
- Black or African American1.6% · 60
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 46
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Canning
Canning 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
#8,227
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,033
+213 bearers (+5.6%)
Per 100,000 1.37
Rank movement Down 217 places
2020
#8,252
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,847
-186 bearers (-4.6%)
Per 100,000 1.29
Rank movement Down 25 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,010 | 3,820 | 1.42 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,227 | 4,033 | 1.37 | +213 bearers (+5.6%) | Down 217 places |
| 2020 | #8,252 | 3,847 | 1.29 | -186 bearers (-4.6%) | Down 25 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 Canning 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 | #8,227 | #8,252 | -0.3% |
| Count | 4,033 | 3,847 | -4.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.37 | 1.29 | -6.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Canning bearers went from 4,033 to 3,847 (-4.6% change). The surname moved down 25 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,227 to #8,252.
FAQ
Canning surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Canning?
Name Census estimates that about 4,411 living Americans carry the surname Canning. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 77,704 residents.
How common is Canning?
Canning ranks #8,252 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.29 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 3,847 people with the surname Canning. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,411), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.29 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.29 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 Canning.
Has Canning become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Canning went from 4,033 recorded bearers to 3,847. That is a decrease of 186 (-4.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,227 to #8,252.
What does the Census say about the background of Canning?
Among Census respondents with the surname Canning, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Hispanic (3.5%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Canning in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.0% (3,461 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Canning appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.0%), Two or More Races (3.6%), Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Canning (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 Canning mean?
An English occupational surname for someone who worked as a maker or seller of cans and containers. 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 Canning (1.29 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 people have the surname Canning?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.