Kankelau is a municipality located in the district of Lauenburg within the German state of Schleswig-Holstein. It functions as a village setting in this region.
Historical records indicate that the settlement was first mentioned in 1230 AD under the name "Cankelowe." Over the following centuries, the spelling evolved to Kankelowe in 1278, Kankelow in 1434, and eventually Kankelauw by 1450.