2000
#124,872
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 127
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Cantini
An ethnic surname indicating Italian ancestry, derived from the Tuscan place name Cantini.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Cantini. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cantini surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Cantini in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cantini, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cantini
The surname Cantini is of Italian origin, derived from the Latin word "cantare," meaning "to sing." It is believed to have originated in the region of Tuscany during the medieval period, likely as an occupational surname for singers, musicians, or those associated with the musical arts.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Cantini name can be found in the 13th century, in a document from the city of Florence. This document mentions a certain "Guido Cantini," who was a renowned singer and composer at the time.
In the 14th century, the Cantini family gained prominence in the city of Siena, where they were involved in the wool trade and held influential positions in the local government. A notable member of this family was Bartolomeo Cantini (1324-1402), who served as a magistrate and was renowned for his patronage of the arts.
The Cantini name also has connections to several place names in Italy. For example, the town of Cantino, located in the province of Calabria, is believed to have derived its name from the Cantini family, who may have owned lands or resided in the area during the Middle Ages.
Throughout history, the Cantini surname has been associated with various notable individuals, including:
1. Vincenzo Cantini (1643-1711), an Italian poet and scholar from Florence.
2. Lorenzo Cantini (1744-1809), an Italian historian and archivist from Siena.
3. Guglielmo Cantini (1845-1921), an Italian sculptor and painter from Tuscany.
4. Alfredo Cantini (1901-1987), an Italian mathematician and physicist known for his contributions to the field of relativity.
5. Enzo Cantini (1924-2002), an Italian businessman and art collector from Florence, who founded the Cantini Museum of Modern Art.
While the Cantini surname has its roots in Italy, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and cultural exchange. However, its origins can be traced back to the medieval period in regions like Tuscany and Siena, where it was closely associated with the musical and artistic traditions of the time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cantini
Among Census respondents with the surname Cantini, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
The bar chart below shows how Cantini bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Cantini surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White100.0% · 113
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cantini
Cantini appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#138,304
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
-6 bearers (-4.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 13,432 places
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
-8 bearers (-6.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,917 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #124,872 | 127 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #138,304 | 121 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-4.7%) | Down 13,432 places |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | -8 bearers (-6.6%) | Down 8,917 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Cantini surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #138,304 | #147,221 | -6.4% |
| Count | 121 | 113 | -6.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cantini bearers went from 121 to 113 (-6.6% change). The surname moved down 8,917 positions in the national ranking, going from #138,304 to #147,221.
FAQ
Cantini surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cantini?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Cantini. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Cantini?
Cantini ranks #147,221 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 113 people with the surname Cantini. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Cantini.
Has Cantini become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cantini went from 121 recorded bearers to 113. That is a decrease of 8 (-6.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #138,304 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Cantini?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cantini, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%. These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Cantini in the 2020 Census, accounting for 100.0% (113 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cantini appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (100.0%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Cantini (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Cantini mean?
An ethnic surname indicating Italian ancestry, derived from the Tuscan place name Cantini. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Cantini (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Cantini?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.