2000
#12,936
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,178
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.81
Rare Last name
Canton
A locational surname referring to someone who lived in a corner, nook, or secluded valley.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,623 Americans carry the last name Canton. That puts it at #12,861 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.77 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 130,673 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Canton 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 Canton with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.6K
1 in 130,673
Census rank
#12,861
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,287 bearers of the surname Canton in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.77 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12861st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Canton, the largest self-reported group is White at 38.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (29.3%) and Black (21.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Canton
The surname Canton originated in France, with the earliest recorded instances dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old French word "canton," which referred to a district or division of a larger territory. This term likely has its roots in the Latin word "cantus," meaning "corner" or "side."
The name Canton was initially found in the northern regions of France, particularly in the areas of Normandy and Picardy. These regions were known for their administrative divisions called "cantons," which may have contributed to the surname's development.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Canton surname appears in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landowners and properties commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. This document mentions a landowner named Robertus de Cantunia, which is believed to be an early variant of the Canton name.
In the 13th century, records show a nobleman named Guillaume de Canton who owned lands in the Champagne region of France. Another notable figure from this period was Jean Canton, a French philosopher and theologian who lived from 1240 to 1310.
During the Renaissance period, the Canton name gained prominence with the birth of Jean Canton, a renowned French painter and engraver who lived from 1510 to 1587. His works were highly regarded and can be found in various art collections across Europe.
In the 18th century, a notable figure with the Canton surname was John Canton, an English physicist and teacher born in 1718. He made significant contributions to the study of electricity and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1749. Canton died in 1772.
Another prominent individual was William Canton, an English writer and journalist born in 1845. He was a prolific author and contributed to various publications, including The Graphic and The Illustrated London News. Canton passed away in 1926.
Throughout history, the Canton surname has been associated with various locations, including the town of Canton in Picardy, France, and the city of Canton (now known as Guangzhou) in China. While the name's origins are primarily French, it has spread to other parts of the world through migration and cultural exchange.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Canton
Among Census respondents with the surname Canton, the largest self-reported group is White at 38.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (29.3%) and Black (21.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Canton 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 Canton surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White38.5% · 880
- Hispanic or Latino29.3% · 671
- Black or African American21.3% · 488
- Asian and Pacific Islander5.9% · 135
- Two or more races4.5% · 104
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Canton
Canton 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
#13,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,353
+175 bearers (+8.0%)
Per 100,000 0.80
Rank movement Down 113 places
2020
#12,861
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,287
-66 bearers (-2.8%)
Per 100,000 0.77
Rank movement Up 188 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,936 | 2,178 | 0.81 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,049 | 2,353 | 0.80 | +175 bearers (+8.0%) | Down 113 places |
| 2020 | #12,861 | 2,287 | 0.77 | -66 bearers (-2.8%) | Up 188 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 Canton 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 | #13,049 | #12,861 | 1.4% |
| Count | 2,353 | 2,287 | -2.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.80 | 0.77 | -4.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Canton bearers went from 2,353 to 2,287 (-2.8% change). The surname moved up 188 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,049 to #12,861.
FAQ
Canton surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Canton?
Name Census estimates that about 2,623 living Americans carry the surname Canton. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 130,673 residents.
How common is Canton?
Canton ranks #12,861 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.77 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 2,287 people with the surname Canton. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,623), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.77 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.77 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 Canton.
Has Canton become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Canton went from 2,353 recorded bearers to 2,287. That is a decrease of 66 (-2.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #13,049 to #12,861.
What does the Census say about the background of Canton?
Among Census respondents with the surname Canton, the largest self-reported group is White at 38.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (29.3%) and Black (21.3%). 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 Canton in the 2020 Census, accounting for 38.5% (880 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Canton appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (38.5%), Hispanic (29.3%), Black (21.3%). 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 Canton (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 Canton mean?
A locational surname referring to someone who lived in a corner, nook, or secluded valley. 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 Canton (0.77 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 are called Canton?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how common the surname Canton is at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.