Explore the Family Name Canal
The meaning of Canal
1. Spanish, Catalan, Portuguese, and southern French: topographic name from canal ‘channel, pipe, conduit’ (from Late Latin canalis, a derivative of canna ‘reed’), e.g. for someone who lived near an irrigation channel, or a habitational name from any of numerous places called with this word. 2. Asturian-Leonese (Cañal): habitational name from Cañal, a place in Asturias (Spain) named with cañal ‘reedbed’ (from Latin canna ‘reed’). 3. Italian: variant of Canale. Some characteristic forenames: Spanish Jose, Emilio, Luis, Roberto, Avelino, Carlos, Manuel, Mercedes, Raul, Adolfo, Alberto, Ana. Italian Carlo, Carmela, Ciro, Clemente, Dario, Eliseo, Lucio, Oreste, Reno.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Canal in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Canal has been growing in popularity over the past decade. In 2000, it was ranked as the 23,514th most popular surname, but by 2010 it had risen to 22,618th. This represents an increase of 3.81%. In terms of actual count, there were 1,007 people with the surname Canal in 2000 which grew to 1,135 by 2010, showing a 12.71% hike. The proportion of people with this surname per 100,000 individuals also increased slightly from 0.37 to 0.38.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #23,514 | #22,618 | 3.81% |
| Count | 1,007 | 1,135 | 12.71% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.37 | 0.38 | 2.7% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Canal
The ethnic identity associated with the surname Canal also shifted between the 2000 and 2010 censuses. According to the Decennial U.S. Census, the largest percentage of individuals with this surname identified as Hispanic, increasing from 57% in 2000 to 60.18% in 2010. Meanwhile, those identifying as White decreased from 36.84% to 32.33%. There was also a noticeable increase in individuals who identify as Black or Asian/Pacific Islander. The number of people identifying with two or more races and American Indian and Alaskan Native ethnicities was suppressed for privacy reasons.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hispanic | 57% | 60.18% | 5.58% |
| White | 36.84% | 32.33% | -12.24% |
| Black | 3.97% | 5.11% | 28.72% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 1.29% | 1.59% | 23.26% |
| Two or More Races | 0.89% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |