2000
#920
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 34,674
First available Census row
Per 100,000 12.85
Uncommon Last name
Cantrell
An English occupational surname derived from the Old French "chanterelle," referring to a singer or chorister.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 38,004 Americans carry the last name Cantrell. That puts it at #1,042 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 11.09 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 9,019 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cantrell 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Cantrell with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
38K
1 in 9,019
Census rank
#1,042
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
11.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
33K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 33,141 bearers of the surname Cantrell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 11.09 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1042nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cantrell, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.6%) and Black (4.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cantrell
The surname Cantrell is of English origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "cantel" or "cantref," which referred to a division of land or a hundred in certain parts of Britain.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name dates back to the 13th century, appearing in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273 as "William de Cantrelau." This entry suggests that the name may have been connected to a specific location or place name.
Historically, the Cantrell surname has been associated with various regions in England, particularly the counties of Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Cheshire. It is likely that the name originated as a descriptive term referring to someone who lived in or near a specific "cantref" or hundred.
In the 14th century, the name appeared in the Subsidy Rolls of Lancashire in 1332, recorded as "Robertus de Cantrell." This record provides evidence of the name's presence in the region during that time period.
One notable figure bearing the Cantrell surname was Sir Robert Cantrell (c. 1370-1443), a prominent English politician and knight who served as a Member of Parliament for Lancashire. He played a significant role in the Wars of the Roses, supporting the House of Lancaster.
Another historical figure was Thomas Cantrell (1575-1647), an English clergyman and theologian who served as the Bishop of Killala and Achonry in Ireland. He was known for his writings on religious matters during the early 17th century.
In the literary realm, Geoffrey Cantrell (1849-1935) was an English author and poet who wrote several works, including "The Bacchanal" and "The Poems of Geoffrey Cantrell."
The name Cantrell has also been associated with notable individuals in the United States, such as James Cantrell (1804-1887), a prominent lawyer and judge from Kentucky, and Charles Cantrell (1906-1983), an American actor known for his roles in Western films.
While the Cantrell surname has its roots in England, it has spread to other parts of the world through migration and immigration. Over time, various spellings and variations of the name have emerged, including Cantrell, Cantrill, and Cantrell, reflecting the linguistic and cultural influences of different regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cantrell
Among Census respondents with the surname Cantrell, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.6%) and Black (4.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Cantrell 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 Cantrell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.0% · 28,501
- Two or more races4.6% · 1,520
- Black or African American4.6% · 1,511
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 979
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.4% · 450
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 180
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cantrell
Cantrell 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
#988
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 35,266
+592 bearers (+1.7%)
Per 100,000 11.96
Rank movement Down 68 places
2020
#1,042
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 33,141
-2,125 bearers (-6.0%)
Per 100,000 11.09
Rank movement Down 54 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #920 | 34,674 | 12.85 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #988 | 35,266 | 11.96 | +592 bearers (+1.7%) | Down 68 places |
| 2020 | #1,042 | 33,141 | 11.09 | -2,125 bearers (-6.0%) | Down 54 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 Cantrell 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 | #988 | #1,042 | -5.5% |
| Count | 35,266 | 33,141 | -6.0% |
| Per 100K | 11.96 | 11.09 | -7.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cantrell bearers went from 35,266 to 33,141 (-6.0% change). The surname moved down 54 positions in the national ranking, going from #988 to #1,042.
FAQ
Cantrell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cantrell?
Name Census estimates that about 38,004 living Americans carry the surname Cantrell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 9,019 residents.
How common is Cantrell?
Cantrell ranks #1,042 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 11.09 per 100,000 residents, which is about 11 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 33,141 people with the surname Cantrell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (38,004), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 11.09 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 11.09 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 11 of them to have the surname Cantrell.
Has Cantrell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cantrell went from 35,266 recorded bearers to 33,141. That is a decrease of 2,125 (-6.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #988 to #1,042.
What does the Census say about the background of Cantrell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cantrell, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.6%) and Black (4.6%). 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 Cantrell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.0% (28,501 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cantrell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.0%), Two or More Races (4.6%), Black (4.6%). 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 Cantrell (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 Cantrell mean?
An English occupational surname derived from the Old French "chanterelle," referring to a singer or chorister. 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 Cantrell (11.09 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 Cantrell?
You can see how many people have the last name Cantrell on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.