UK surname
An occupational surname referring to a clergyman or someone who worked for the church in an official capacity.
In the 1881 census there were 114 people recorded with the Canon surname, ranking it #18,324 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 69, ranked #33,762, down from #18,324 in 1881.
The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Bonhill and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Canon is 220 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 39.5%.
1881 census count
114
Ranked #18,324
Modern count
69
2016, ranked #33,762
Peak year
1861
220 bearers
Map years
4
1851 to 1891
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Canon surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Canon surname density by area, 1881 census.
Timeline
Back to topThe 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 | 129 | #14,406 |
| 1861 | historical | 220 | #11,076 |
| 1881 | historical | 114 | #18,324 |
| 1891 | historical | 155 | #17,920 |
| 1901 | historical | 72 | #26,162 |
| 1911 | historical | 80 | #24,821 |
| 1997 | modern | 54 | #32,210 |
| 1998 | modern | 57 | #32,226 |
| 1999 | modern | 56 | #32,461 |
| 2000 | modern | 49 | #33,187 |
| 2001 | modern | 48 | #33,129 |
| 2002 | modern | 45 | #33,712 |
| 2003 | modern | 43 | #33,951 |
| 2004 | modern | 42 | #34,222 |
| 2005 | modern | 51 | #33,701 |
| 2006 | modern | 53 | #33,854 |
| 2007 | modern | 56 | #33,875 |
| 2008 | modern | 56 | #34,084 |
| 2009 | modern | 52 | #34,544 |
| 2010 | modern | 52 | #34,726 |
| 2011 | modern | 50 | #34,816 |
| 2012 | modern | 63 | #34,095 |
| 2013 | modern | 62 | #34,260 |
| 2014 | modern | 65 | #34,082 |
| 2015 | modern | 66 | #33,976 |
| 2016 | modern | 69 | #33,762 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Bonhill, Edinburgh, Lambeth and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.
The modern local-area list points to No data. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.
| Rank | Parish | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | London parishes | London 3 |
| 2 | Bonhill | Dunbarton |
| 3 | Edinburgh | Edinburgh |
| 4 | Lambeth | London (South Districts) |
| 5 | Glasgow | Lanark |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Canon surname in historical and recent records.
Recent female names
Recent male names
Modern profile
Back to topModern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Canon, 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
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Nationally, the Canon surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Canon household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.
London neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Within London, Canon is most associated with areas classed as No data, part of No data. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.
Broadband speed
The modern neighbourhood pattern for Canon is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Canon, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname Canon originates from England and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old French word "canon," which means a clergyman who followed a set of religious rules or canons. The name was likely given to someone who lived near a cathedral or church where canons resided.
The earliest recorded instance of the surname Canon appears in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1190, where a Robert Canon is mentioned. The name also appears in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273, listing a John le Canon.
In the Domesday Book of 1086, there are several mentions of places with names similar to Canon, such as Canunditon (modern-day Caunton, Nottinghamshire) and Canundie (modern-day Canons Ashby, Northamptonshire), suggesting a connection between the name and these locations.
One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname Canon was John Canon, a 14th-century English clergyman and philosopher who served as Chancellor of the University of Oxford from 1356 to 1357.
Another prominent figure was Edmund Canon (c. 1500-1558), an English Benedictine monk and the last Prior of the Newnham Priory in Bedfordshire before its dissolution under King Henry VIII.
In the 16th century, Thomas Canon (c. 1509-1564) was an English Catholic priest and author who wrote several works on theology and religious philosophy.
William Canon (1609-1673) was an English clergyman and author who served as a chaplain to King Charles I and later became a canon of Windsor.
Additionally, Richard Canon (1653-1730) was an English mathematician and inventor who made significant contributions to the development of early calculating machines.
These examples illustrate the diverse historical figures who carried the surname Canon, often associated with religious or scholarly pursuits, reflecting the name's origins and connections to the clergy and academic institutions.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
1881 census detail
Back to topThese tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Canon surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.
Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 29 Canons recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.58x.
| County | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Middlesex | 29 | 2.58x |
| Dunbartonshire | 24 | 79.60x |
| Lancashire | 18 | 1.35x |
| Lanarkshire | 8 | 2.21x |
| Surrey | 7 | 1.28x |
| Buteshire | 6 | 88.24x |
| Midlothian | 5 | 3.33x |
| Cheshire | 3 | 1.21x |
| Warwickshire | 3 | 1.06x |
| Aberdeenshire | 2 | 1.92x |
| Yorkshire | 2 | 0.18x |
| Ayrshire | 1 | 1.19x |
| Dumfriesshire | 1 | 4.04x |
| Glamorgan | 1 | 0.51x |
| Hertfordshire | 1 | 1.29x |
| Leicestershire | 1 | 0.80x |
| Northumberland | 1 | 0.60x |
| Stirlingshire | 1 | 2.42x |
| Wigtownshire | 1 | 6.71x |
Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bonhill in Dunbartonshire leads with 24 Canons recorded in 1881 and an index of 495.87x.
These are the female first names most often recorded with the Canon surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
These are the male first names most often recorded with the Canon surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
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 Canon households.
| Occupation | Count |
|---|---|
| Scholar | 5 |
| Labourer | 3 |
| Cotton Reeler | 2 |
| Ring Spinner Cotton Mill | 2 |
| Unemployed | 2 |
| Baker | 1 |
| Barge Builder | 1 |
| Coalminer | 1 |
| Cowman Ag Lab | 1 |
| Creeler Cotton Mill | 1 |
| Dock Labourer (Serv) | 1 |
| Dom Serv | 1 |
| Farmers Lab | 1 |
| Fisherman | 1 |
| Footman | 1 |
| Fustian Cutter | 1 |
| Gas Fitter | 1 |
| General Domestic Servant | 1 |
| General Labourer | 1 |
| General Labourer Wife | 1 |
| General Servant | 1 |
| Green Grocer | 1 |
| Hackney Drive | 1 |
| Hawker | 1 |
| Housemaid | 1 |
| Late Major 97th Regt | 1 |
| Lithograph Printer | 1 |
| Machinist S | 1 |
| Master Cotton Spinner | 1 |
| Mechanical Iron Turner | 1 |
| Nurse | 1 |
| Nurse (Sub Hed) | 1 |
| Schr | 1 |
| Spinner | 1 |
| Tailor | 1 |
| Traveller Com | 1 |
| Washer | 1 |
| Wine Merchants Wife | 1 |
FAQ
In 1881, 114 people were recorded with the Canon surname. That placed it at #18,324 in the surname rankings for that year.
The latest modern count shown here is 69 in 2016. That gives Canon a modern rank of #33,762.
An occupational surname referring to a clergyman or someone who worked for the church in an official capacity.
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Canon bearers relative to the surrounding population.
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.