2000
#134,929
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Cantner
A surname derived from a variant of the word "cantor" referring to a church singer or precentor.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Cantner. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cantner 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Cantner in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cantner, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cantner
The surname Cantner is believed to have originated in Germany, with its roots traced back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old German word "kant," which means "rim" or "edge," suggesting a possible occupational connection to those who lived or worked near the outskirts of a town or village.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Cantner can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus, a collection of historical documents from the German state of Bavaria, dating back to the mid-14th century. This document mentions a certain "Heinrich Cantner" from the town of Regensburg.
In the 16th century, the name Cantner appeared in various church records and tax rolls across regions like Saxony and Thuringia. During this period, the name was sometimes spelled as "Kantner" or "Canntner," reflecting regional variations in pronunciation and orthography.
Notably, a Johann Cantner (1629-1697) was a prominent German theologian and author who served as a pastor in the city of Nuremberg. His writings on religious topics were widely circulated during his lifetime and contributed to the spread of the family name.
Another notable figure bearing the Cantner surname was Georg Cantner (1783-1857), a German landscape painter and etcher known for his depictions of rural scenes and architectural subjects. His works were exhibited in various galleries across Europe during the early 19th century.
In the late 19th century, the name Cantner was also found in various parts of Austria, particularly in the region of Tyrol. One such individual was Karl Cantner (1864-1932), an Austrian businessman and industrialist who played a significant role in the development of the mining industry in the region.
Throughout its history, the Cantner surname has been associated with various occupations, ranging from craftsmen and artisans to scholars and businessmen. While its origins can be traced back to Germany, the name has since spread to other parts of Europe and beyond, carried by individuals and families who have contributed to the rich tapestry of their respective communities.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cantner
Among Census respondents with the surname Cantner, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Cantner 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 Cantner surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.2% · 114
- Two or more races4.1% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cantner
Cantner 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
#137,327
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
+7 bearers (+6.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,398 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
-1 bearers (-0.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,982 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,929 | 115 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #137,327 | 122 | 0.04 | +7 bearers (+6.1%) | Down 2,398 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.8%) | Down 3,982 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 Cantner 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 | #137,327 | #141,309 | -2.9% |
| Count | 122 | 121 | -0.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cantner bearers went from 122 to 121 (-0.8% change). The surname moved down 3,982 positions in the national ranking, going from #137,327 to #141,309.
FAQ
Cantner surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cantner?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Cantner. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Cantner?
Cantner ranks #141,309 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 121 people with the surname Cantner. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), 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 Cantner.
Has Cantner become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cantner went from 122 recorded bearers to 121. That is a decrease of 1 (-0.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #137,327 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Cantner?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cantner, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%) and Hispanic (1.7%). 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 Cantner in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.2% (114 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cantner appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.2%), Two or More Races (4.1%), Hispanic (1.7%). 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 Cantner (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 Cantner mean?
A surname derived from a variant of the word "cantor" referring to a church singer or precentor. 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 Cantner (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 are called Cantner?
You can see how many people are called Cantner on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.