NameCensus.

UK surname

Caney

A locational surname referring to someone from one of several places named Caney.

In the 1881 census there were 269 people recorded with the Caney surname, ranking it #10,506 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 322, ranked #14,033, down from #10,506 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Fincham, London parishes and Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Rother, North Somerset and South Holland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Caney is 333 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 19.7%.

1881 census count

269

Ranked #10,506

Modern count

322

2016, ranked #14,033

Peak year

1901

333 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Caney had 269 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #10,506 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 322 in 2016, ranked #14,033.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 333 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Caney surname distribution map

The map shows where the Caney surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Caney surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Caney over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 195 #10,620
1861 historical 249 #9,904
1881 historical 269 #10,506
1891 historical 311 #10,781
1901 historical 333 #10,843
1911 historical 309 #11,203
1997 modern 300 #13,530
1998 modern 310 #13,578
1999 modern 308 #13,722
2000 modern 296 #14,044
2001 modern 295 #13,867
2002 modern 296 #14,110
2003 modern 288 #14,192
2004 modern 304 #13,783
2005 modern 291 #14,105
2006 modern 305 #13,766
2007 modern 295 #14,198
2008 modern 304 #14,000
2009 modern 314 #13,985
2010 modern 318 #14,136
2011 modern 318 #14,023
2012 modern 320 #13,868
2013 modern 326 #13,893
2014 modern 321 #14,150
2015 modern 319 #14,118
2016 modern 322 #14,033

Geography

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Where Caneys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Fincham, London parishes, Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars and Maidstone, Linton, Loddington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Rother, North Somerset, South Holland, King's Lynn and West Norfolk and South Ribble. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Fincham Norfolk
2 London parishes London 3
3 Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars Leicestershire
4 Maidstone, Linton, Loddington Kent
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Rother 001 Rother
2 North Somerset 012 North Somerset
3 South Holland 008 South Holland
4 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 008 King's Lynn and West Norfolk
5 South Ribble 003 South Ribble

Forenames

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First names often paired with Caney

These lists show first names that appear often with the Caney surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Caney

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Caney, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Caney surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Caney household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Caney is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Caney is most concentrated in decile 6 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Caney falls in decile 7 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Caney is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Caney, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Caney

The surname Caney has its origins in France, dating back to the medieval period around the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old French word "cane," which referred to a reed or cane plant, suggesting that the name may have been an occupational surname for someone who worked with reeds or lived in an area abundant with reeds.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Caney surname can be found in the Livre des Bourgeois de Reims, a medieval document from the city of Reims in northern France, dating back to the 13th century. This document mentions a certain "Johannes de Caneto," which translates to "John of Caney," indicating the surname's existence during that time.

In the 14th century, the surname appeared in various forms, such as "Canay," "Cannet," and "Cannet," reflecting the variations in spelling and pronunciation common in those times. These variations likely stemmed from different regional dialects and the influence of local place names.

One notable historical figure bearing the Caney surname was Jean Caney (c. 1400 - c. 1470), a French mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the development of trigonometry and astronomical calculations. He was a member of the University of Paris and served as a professor of mathematics.

Another individual of historical significance was François Caney (1567 - 1638), a French Catholic priest and theologian who played a role in the religious conflicts of the time. He was a prolific writer and authored several works on theological subjects.

In the 17th century, the Caney surname found its way to England, possibly through the migration of Huguenot refugees fleeing religious persecution in France. One example is Richard Caney (1624 - 1681), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Vice-Chancellor of Cambridge University.

The Caney name also appeared in Scotland during the 18th century, with Alexander Caney (1733 - 1808), a Scottish politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for several constituencies.

Lastly, in the 19th century, the Caney surname gained some prominence in the United States, with Benjamin Caney (1812 - 1892), an American politician and lawyer who served as a Congressman from Connecticut.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Caney families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Caney surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Kent leads with 53 Caneys recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.90x.

County Total Index
Kent 53 5.90x
Middlesex 47 1.78x
Norfolk 32 7.90x
Surrey 30 2.34x
Warwickshire 26 3.91x
Durham 17 2.17x
Yorkshire 17 0.65x
Essex 11 2.12x
Worcestershire 10 2.91x
Lancashire 6 0.19x
Sussex 6 1.35x
Glamorgan 5 1.09x
Suffolk 4 1.25x
Lincolnshire 2 0.48x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.63x
Channel Islands 1 1.28x
Hampshire 1 0.19x
Hertfordshire 1 0.55x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Birmingham in Warwickshire leads with 23 Caneys recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.39x.

Place Total Index
Birmingham 23 10.39x
Maidstone 19 70.98x
Plumstead 16 53.42x
Fincham 14 1971.83x
Claines 10 105.93x
Hornsey 10 30.03x
Canterbury St Mary 9 149.25x
Holy Trinity 9 14.34x
Islington London 9 3.53x
Sunderland 9 65.03x
Epsom 8 128.00x
Greencroft 8 555.56x
Holme 8 3333.33x
Lewisham 8 16.69x
Rotherhithe 8 24.59x
Feltwell 7 886.08x
Salcott 6 2727.27x
Chiddingly 5 625.00x
Hackney London 5 3.39x
Normanby In 5 71.63x
Toxteth Park 5 4.73x
Whitchurch 5 201.61x
Bethnal Green London 4 3.50x
Hessett 4 1025.64x
Newington 4 4.11x
Southwark St John 4 49.69x
St Pancras London 4 1.89x
West Ham 4 3.48x
Bishops Itchington 3 468.75x
Camberwell 3 1.78x
Clerkenwell London 3 4.83x
Kimberworth 3 20.72x
Bow London 2 5.96x
Carleton Rode 2 285.71x
Chelsea London 2 2.52x
Kensington London 2 1.37x
Market Rasen 2 85.11x
Penge 2 11.89x
Barking 1 6.57x
Bromley London 1 1.73x
Crowhurst 1 263.16x
Enfield 1 5.79x
Fulham London 1 2.62x
Great Yarmouth 1 2.98x
Grouville 1 46.08x
Heston 1 11.43x
Lambeth 1 0.44x
Little Bolton 1 2.49x
Norwood 1 16.61x
Orpington 1 36.36x
Spitalfields London 1 5.05x
Ventnor 1 19.49x
Watford 1 7.11x
Wycombe 1 8.42x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Caney surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 17
Elizabeth 8
Charlotte 7
Alice 6
Emily 6
Jane 6
Sarah 6
Annie 5
Emma 5
Hannah 5
Caroline 3
Catherine 3
Ada 2
Ellen 2
Florence 2
Gertrude 2
Harriet 2
Kate 2
Lousia 2
Margaret 2
Minnie 2
Ruth 2
Susan 2
Bertha 1
Bridget 1
Christina 1
Edith 1
Eliza 1
Elizth. 1
Frances 1
Gerty 1
Grace 1
Harriett 1
Helen 1
Jamima 1
Joanna 1
Lavinia 1
Lilian 1
Lily 1
Lizzie 1
Louisa 1
Lydia 1
Margt 1
Maria 1
Martha 1
Nellie 1
Priscilla 1
Rachael 1
Rachel 1
Susanah 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Caney surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

FAQ

Caney surname: questions and answers

How common was the Caney surname in 1881?

In 1881, 269 people were recorded with the Caney surname. That placed it at #10,506 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Caney surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 322 in 2016. That gives Caney a modern rank of #14,033.

What does the Caney surname mean?

A locational surname referring to someone from one of several places named Caney.

What does the Caney map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Caney bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.