NameCensus.

UK surname

Cano

A Spanish and Italian occupational surname referring to a person with gray or white hair, or a cane maker.

In the 1881 census there were 8 people recorded with the Cano surname, ranking it #32,581 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 251, ranked #16,744, up from #32,581 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include New Cumnock, Mauchline Rural and Stevenage.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cano is 251 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 3037.5%.

1881 census count

8

Ranked #32,581

Modern count

251

2016, ranked #16,744

Peak year

2016

251 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cano had 8 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #32,581 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 251 in 2016, ranked #16,744.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 9 in 1851.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Diverse Educated Urban Singles.

Cano surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Cano surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Cano 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 9 #31,675
1861 historical 9 #32,724
1881 historical 8 #32,581
1891 historical 2 #34,436
1901 historical 2 #34,263
1911 historical 7 #33,083
1997 modern 133 #22,705
1998 modern 141 #22,517
1999 modern 147 #22,110
2000 modern 147 #22,081
2001 modern 137 #22,740
2002 modern 151 #21,809
2003 modern 147 #21,977
2004 modern 163 #20,685
2005 modern 164 #20,552
2006 modern 175 #19,850
2007 modern 183 #19,553
2008 modern 200 #18,640
2009 modern 210 #18,426
2010 modern 235 #17,477
2011 modern 235 #17,328
2012 modern 234 #17,291
2013 modern 234 #17,556
2014 modern 246 #17,079
2015 modern 241 #17,235
2016 modern 251 #16,744

Geography

Back to top

Where Canos are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to New Cumnock, Mauchline Rural, Stevenage, Tonbridge and Malling and Amber Valley. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 New Cumnock East Ayrshire
2 Mauchline Rural East Ayrshire
3 Stevenage 009 Stevenage
4 Tonbridge and Malling 002 Tonbridge and Malling
5 Amber Valley 008 Amber Valley

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Cano

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Cano

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Cano, 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

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Diverse Educated Urban Singles

Nationally, the Cano surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Diverse Educated Urban Singles, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Cano 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 includes many never-married individuals not living with dependent children. Many were born in EU countries and are now aged between 25-44. This Group is characterised by its ethnic group diversity, although those identifying as Asian are not well represented. Affiliation with the Christian religion amongst residents is low. Reported disability rates are low. Neighbourhoods include some central locations in London and other major cities. Private renting is the norm, and there is some overcrowding. Many individuals are educated to degree level, and full-time employment is common, particularly in managerial and professional occupations.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Cano is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Cano is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

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

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Cano falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Cano is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Other

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

Meaning and origin of Cano

The surname Cano is of Spanish origin, derived from the Latin word "canna" meaning "reed" or "cane." Its earliest recorded use can be traced back to the 8th century in the Iberian Peninsula, particularly in the regions of Castile and Andalusia.

During the Reconquista, the period when Christian kingdoms in the Iberian Peninsula sought to regain control from the Moors, many Canos fought alongside the Spanish forces. One notable figure from this era was Rodrigo Cano de Valladolid, a renowned knight who participated in the conquest of Granada in 1492.

As the Spanish Empire expanded throughout the 16th and 17th centuries, the Cano surname spread across the Americas, particularly in regions like Mexico, Peru, and Colombia. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in the New World was Juan Cano, a Spanish conquistador who accompanied Hernán Cortés in the conquest of Mexico in the early 1500s.

In the realm of literature, the Cano surname gained prominence with Alonso Cano, a 17th-century Spanish painter, sculptor, and architect who is considered one of the leading figures of the Golden Age of Spanish art. Another notable figure was Juan Sebastián Elcano, a Spanish explorer who completed the first circumnavigation of the Earth after Ferdinand Magellan's death in 1522.

The Cano surname also has a strong presence in the world of music and arts. Among the notable figures are the Mexican composer and conductor Eduardo Cano (1890-1962), known for his contributions to the Mexican folk music genre, and the Colombian artist and sculptor Edgar Cano (1938-2021), whose works have been exhibited worldwide.

Other notable individuals with the Cano surname include the Venezuelan politician and diplomat José Rafael Cano (1863-1934), who served as the President of Venezuela from 1899 to 1903, and the Spanish philosopher and essayist José Cano (1829-1904), who was known for his works on ethics and philosophy of law.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Cano families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cano 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. Middlesex leads with 3 Canos recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.85x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 3 3.85x
Yorkshire 3 3.88x
Hampshire 1 6.25x
Kent 1 3.76x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St Pancras London in Middlesex leads with 3 Canos recorded in 1881 and an index of 47.77x.

Place Total Index
St Pancras London 3 47.77x
Bradford 2 106.95x
Leeds 1 22.94x
Lewisham 1 70.42x
Southampton St Mary 1 99.01x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Catherine 2
Elizabeth 1
Julia 1
Mary 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Edward 1
Emilio 1
Manuel 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Cano households.

FAQ

Cano surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cano surname in 1881?

In 1881, 8 people were recorded with the Cano surname. That placed it at #32,581 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cano surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 251 in 2016. That gives Cano a modern rank of #16,744.

What does the Cano surname mean?

A Spanish and Italian occupational surname referring to a person with gray or white hair, or a cane maker.

What does the Cano map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Cano 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.