Explore the Family Name Canby

The meaning of Canby

English (Lancashire and Yorkshire): probably a habitational name from Caenby in Lincolnshire, named with the Old Norse personal name Kafni + bȳ ‘farmstead’. However, it may also be a shortened form of a habitational name from Cross Canonby (Cumbria) or Carnaby (East Yorkshire).

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Canby in the United States?

The surname Canby, according to the Decennial U.S. Census data, experienced a slight drop in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it ranked 43,463 in terms of frequency, but a decade later, it had slipped to 45,959. The overall count of people with the Canby surname also decreased marginally from 468 in 2000 to 464 in 2010. This represents a decrease of 0.85 percent over the decade. Per 100,000 people, the proportion of individuals named Canby fell by 5.88 percent.

20002010Change
Rank#43,463#45,959-5.74%
Count468464-0.85%
Proportion per 100k0.170.16-5.88%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Canby

In terms of ethnic identity, data from the Decennial U.S. Census indicates a varied representation among those with the surname Canby. A significant majority of individuals, 89.44 percent in 2010, identify as White, which is a slight decrease from the 89.96 percent reported in 2000. There's been an increase in those identifying as belonging to two or more races, rising from 2.56 percent in 2000 to 3.02 percent in 2010, marking an approximate 18 percent change. People who identify as Hispanic make up 1.08 percent of the Canby population, down from 1.50 percent in 2000. The proportion of American Indian and Alaskan Native individuals saw a noticeable increase, going from 3.85 percent in 2000 to 5.17 percent in 2010, registering an impressive 34.29 percent growth. No individuals named Canby identified as Asian/Pacific Islander or Black according to both 2000 and 2010 census data.

20002010Change
White89.96%89.44%-0.58%
American Indian and Alaskan Native3.85%5.17%34.29%
Two or More Races2.56%3.02%17.97%
Hispanic1.5%1.08%-28%
Asian/Pacific Islander0%0%0%
Black0%0%0%