Explore the Family Name Caniff

The meaning of Caniff

Irish: shortened Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Conduibh (see Cunniff). This surname is now rare in Britain and Ireland.

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

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

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Caniff has experienced a dip in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked 66,073rd in terms of popularity, but by 2010, it had fallen to 72,568th, marking a decline of nearly 10%. The count of individuals bearing this surname also declined from 280 in 2000 to 268 in 2010, representing a decrease of about 4.29%. For every 100,000 people, there were 0.1 individuals named Caniff in 2000, while the proportion fell to 0.09 in 2010.

20002010Change
Rank#66,073#72,568-9.83%
Count280268-4.29%
Proportion per 100k0.10.09-10%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Caniff

When looking at the ethnicity linked with the Caniff surname, data from the Decennial U.S. Census reveals that most bearers identified as White. In 2000, 97.86% identified as White, though this figure dropped slightly to 96.64% in 2010. There were no reported instances of bearers identifying as Asian or Pacific Islander, Hispanic, Black, or American Indian and Alaskan Native in either year. However, by 2010, about 1.87% of Caniffs identified with two or more races, marking a new development in the ethnic identity associated with the surname.

20002010Change
White97.86%96.64%-1.25%
Two or More Races0%1.87%0%
Asian/Pacific Islander0%0%0%
Hispanic0%0%0%
Black0%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%