Canal History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Italy

The Italian name Canal is derived from one of several places named Canale in northern Italy. The place name comes from the Italian word "canale," meaning "canal." Although the most traditional type of family name found in the region of Venice is the patronymic surname, which is derived from the father's given name, local surnames, created from place names are also found. These local names, are derived from a place-name where the original bearer once resided or held land, and often bear the prefix "di," meaning "from."

Early Origins of the Canal family

The surname Canal was first found in the area around the city of Ferrara, where Tommaso Canali was a judge in the mid 12th century. One line of the Canal family originated in the Polcevera valley, northwest Italy, and was first mentioned in documents dating from the year 1100. Of this line, Emanuele Canale was a member of the faction that supported Paolo Da Novi in 1506. Otto Canella (d. before 1143) was Consul of Genoa in 1133 and is an ancestor of the House of Grimaldi, the family which to this day, rules Monaco.

Early History of the Canal family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Canal research. Another 63 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1275, 1322, 1470, 1505, 1610, 1697, 1725, 1730, 1768 and 1802 are included under the topic Early Canal History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Canal Spelling Variations

In comparison with other European surnames, Italian surnames have a surprising number of forms. They reflect the regional variations and the many dialects of the Italian language, each with its own distinctive features. For example, in Northern Italy the typical Italian surname suffix is "i", whereas in Southern Italy it is "o". Additionally, spelling changes frequently occurred because medieval scribes and church officials often spelled names as they sounded rather than according to any specific spelling rules. The spelling variations in the name Canal include Canal, Canale, Canali, Da Canale, Da Canàl, Da Canal, Canaletto, Canalini, Canales and many more.

Early Notables of the Canal family

Prominent among members of the family was

Guidone Canali, who was the Bishop of Turin in 1322
Carlo Canale of Mantua was highly involved with the church in the 15th century
Bartolomeo Canale was the mayor of Massafiscaglia during the 15th century
Vittorio Canale was a military Captain of the troops at Foligno
Altobello Canale was a knight in Todi in 1470
his brother, Matteo Canale was Captain of the Ghibelline faction in the city
Nicola Canale was an admiral in the Venetian navy in the 15th century
Emanuele Canale was a popular politician in Genoa around 1505
Ludovico Canale was a soldier in the Papal army in Rieti during the 16th century
Bartolomeo Canale was a prominent philosopher and priest in Milan around 1610
Giovanni Antonio Canal (1697-1768) known as Canaletto, Italian painter
Luigi Girolamo Canale was a count in Turin around this time
Giuseppe Canale (1725-1802) was an artist in Rome in 1730 who specialized in etchings

Canal Ranking

In France, the name Canal is the 2,402^nd most popular surname with an estimated 2,500 - 3,000 people with that name. 1

Canal migration to the United States +

A look at the immigration and passenger lists has shown a number of people bearing the name Canal:

Canal Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Mrs. Canal, who arrived in Louisiana in 1718-1724 2
Mr. Canal, who landed in Louisiana in 1719 2

Canal Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Pedro Canal, who arrived in America in 1826 2
I Canal, aged 38, who landed in New Orleans, La in 1829 2
John Canal, who landed in Mississippi in 1841 2
F Canal, aged 30, who arrived in New Orleans, La in 1855 2
Buenaventura Canal, who landed in Puerto Rico in 1858 2
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)