Cano
A surname of Spanish origin, often linked to a nickname meaning “gray-haired” or “white-haired.”
The #931 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 8,262 Americans shares it.
Etymology
In Spanish, cano means “white-haired,” “gray-haired,” or more broadly “gray/hoary,” so the surname likely began as a nickname for someone with gray hair or an aged appearance. The word is tied to Latin canus, meaning “gray-haired” or “hoary.” Some older reference works also connect Cano with a place-name or with other surname traditions, but the descriptive Spanish explanation is the clearest and most common.
History
Spanish surname lists and etymological notes often treat Cano as a sobriquet surname that later became hereditary. It is common in Spain and Spanish-speaking communities, and the form also appears in records outside Spain through migration. Some 19th-century sources mention other Cano-like forms in Normandy and elsewhere, but those are separate historical strands rather than a single secure origin story.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
In older Spanish usage, cano could describe not just hair color but a person who looked elderly or had the dignified look of age.
From the historical record
“* 1685-6. Lionel Mitford and Katherine Clinton : Marriage Lie. (CanO, p. 179. 1761. Marrie(P-Booth Bratbmte and Ann Mitford : St Geo. Han. Sq. i. 101. Crockford, a.”
— A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames (alternate scan)