Find out how popular the last name Canter is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Canter.

Canter, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Canter surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Canter in America

Canter is the 5374th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Canter surname appeared 6,477 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Canter.

We can also compare 2010 data for Canter to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Canter

The surname Canter is believed to have originated in England, with its roots tracing back to the Middle English period around the 13th century. It is thought to be an occupational name derived from the Old French word "chanteur," which means "singer" or "chanter."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, a census-like document from 1273, which mentions a person named Robert le Chantour. This early spelling variation reflects the name's French origins.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as "Chaunter" and "Chauntour," in the Court Rolls of the County of Wiltshire from 1333 and the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, respectively.

The name is also thought to be associated with certain place names in England, such as Canterton in Norfolk, which was recorded as "Cantuaria" in the Domesday Book of 1086. This connection suggests that some bearers of the name may have originated from or been associated with this location.

Notable individuals with the surname Canter throughout history include:

1. John Canter (c. 1515-1586), an English composer and musician during the Renaissance period.
2. William Canter (1542-1623), an English classical scholar and theologian known for his work on ancient Greek texts.
3. Benjamin Canter (1684-1723), a British mathematician and theologian who made contributions to the field of calculus.
4. Henry Canter (1804-1892), a British architect responsible for designing several notable buildings in London.
5. Dorothy Canter (1897-1988), an American artist and printmaker known for her woodcut prints depicting scenes from rural life.

While the surname Canter is not among the most common in English-speaking countries, it has a rich history that can be traced back to its occupational and geographical origins in medieval England.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Canter

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Canter.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Canter was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Canter has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Canter was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Canter, please contact us.

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