Canales
A Spanish surname meaning “channels” or “watercourses,” originally a plural form of Canal.
The #1,462 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 12,662 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Canales is the plural of Spanish canal, meaning a channel, ditch, or watercourse. The word ultimately comes from Latin canalis, “pipe” or “channel.” As a surname, it likely began as a name for someone who lived by channels, irrigation works, or a place called Canales.
History
The surname is found in the Spanish-speaking world and was already in use by the 19th century in the sources supplied here. Like many plural Spanish surnames, it probably arose from a place-name or a local topographic feature rather than from an occupation. It is well established in Spain and across Latin America.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Spanish surnames in the plural often started as references to a family associated with a particular place or feature, not just a literal description.
From the historical record
“Canalejas. Diminutivo de canal. Canales. Plural de Canal, Cáncer. Tumor maligno, duro, redondo i escabroso, de color negrusco, amoratado o ap'omado, en cuya circuns- ferencia se ven las venas hinchadas, azuladas u oscuras i despues de ulceradas despide un olor insoportable, 4.0”
— Diccionario de los apellidos