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

Cantero, 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 Cantero surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Cantero in America

Cantero is the 13486th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Cantero surname appeared 2,253 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Cantero.

We can also compare 2010 data for Cantero 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 Cantero

The surname Cantero originated in Spain during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Spanish word "cantero," which means "stonecutter" or "stonemason." This occupation-based surname likely originated as a means of identifying individuals by their trade or profession.

The earliest known records of the Cantero surname can be traced back to the 13th century in various regions of Spain, including Castile, Aragon, and Catalonia. Some of the earliest recorded instances include mentions in municipal records, tax rolls, and legal documents from that period.

One notable historical reference to the Cantero surname can be found in the "Libro de la Montería" (Book of the Hunt), a medieval Spanish manuscript dating back to the 14th century. This text, commissioned by King Alfonso XI of Castile, includes a list of huntsmen and their surnames, among which the Cantero name appears.

In the 15th century, a prominent individual with the Cantero surname was Juan Cantero, a stonemason and architect from Seville. He is credited with designing and overseeing the construction of several notable buildings in the city, including the Casa de Pilatos, a Renaissance-style palace renowned for its intricate stonework and architectural details.

Another noteworthy figure was Alonso Cantero, a 16th-century Spanish explorer and navigator. He was part of the expedition led by Álvaro de Mendaña that discovered the Solomon Islands in the Pacific Ocean in 1568.

During the 17th century, the Cantero surname gained prominence in the literary world with the writer and poet Pedro Cantero y Villaseñor (1611-1672). He was born in Madrid and is best known for his works in the baroque style, including religious poetry and plays.

In the 19th century, the Cantero surname was associated with the Spanish artist and painter Nicolás Cantero (1802-1842). He was born in Madrid and is renowned for his portraiture and historical paintings, which can be found in various museums across Spain.

While the Cantero surname has its roots in Spain, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly Latin American countries, due to Spanish colonization and migration. However, the origins and meaning of the surname can be traced back to the stonemasons and craftsmen who bore this occupational surname in medieval Spain.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Cantero

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

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

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

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