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

Cantera, 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 Cantera surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Cantera in America

Cantera is the 31587th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Cantera surname appeared 732 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Cantera.

We can also compare 2010 data for Cantera 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 Cantera

The surname Cantera is of Spanish origin and can be traced back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Spanish word "cantera," which means "quarry" or "stone pit." This suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational surname used to identify individuals who worked in quarries or stonecutters.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the Cantera surname can be found in the Libro de la Montería, a 14th-century hunting treatise commissioned by King Alfonso XI of Castile. This manuscript mentions a place called "La Cantera" located in the region of Cuenca, indicating that the name was already in use during that time.

The Cantera surname is also associated with several place names in Spain, such as Cantera Blanca in Andalusia and Cantera de San Lorenzo in Asturias. These locations may have been named after nearby quarries or stone deposits, further reinforcing the connection between the surname and the occupation of quarrying or stonecutting.

Throughout history, there have been notable individuals who bore the Cantera surname. One such person was Juan de la Cantera (c. 1590-1659), a Spanish painter and sculptor active in the 17th century. He was known for his religious works, including altarpieces and sculptures commissioned by churches and monasteries in Spain.

Another prominent figure was Sebastián Cantera (1679-1744), a Spanish Baroque architect who designed several significant buildings in Madrid, including the Church of San Justo y Pastor and the Palacio de Buenavista.

In the literary world, Tomás Cantera (1833-1899) was a Spanish playwright and poet from Asturias. He wrote several popular comedies and dramas that were widely performed in theaters across Spain during the 19th century.

Jumping forward in time, Juan Cantera Burgos (1892-1975) was a Spanish lawyer and politician who served as the Minister of Justice during the Second Spanish Republic in the 1930s.

Finally, José Cantera Burgos (1937-2007) was a Spanish historian and academic who specialized in medieval Spanish history and the Camino de Santiago (Way of St. James). He authored numerous books and articles on these subjects and was a professor at the University of Cantabria.

These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who carried the Cantera surname, demonstrating its longevity and prevalence in Spain and its connection to occupations related to quarrying and stonecutting.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Cantera

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

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 Cantera 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 Cantera 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 Cantera was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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