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

Cantú, 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 Cantú surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Cantú in America

Cantú is the 704th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Cantú surname appeared 49,126 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 17 people would have the surname Cantú.

We can also compare 2010 data for Cantú 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 Cantú

The surname Cantu originated in Italy and has been present since the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Latin word "cantus," which means "song" or "melody." The name likely referred to individuals who were singers, musicians, or worked in professions related to music.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Cantu name can be found in the Codice Diplomatico Longobardo, a collection of historical documents from the Lombard period in Italy, dating back to the 8th century. The name appears in various forms, such as "Cantus," "Cantutus," and "Cantuti," suggesting it was a common surname in certain regions of Italy during that time.

In the 11th century, the Cantu surname is mentioned in the Cartulario della Chiesa di San Pietro di Bologna, an ecclesiastical record from the city of Bologna. This document provides evidence of the name's presence in that region during the Middle Ages.

Notable individuals with the Cantu surname include:

1. Francesco Cantu (1809-1895), an Italian historian and writer known for his works on Italian history, such as "Storia Universale" (Universal History).

2. Cesare Cantu (1804-1895), an Italian writer, poet, and literary critic who authored several works on Italian literature and history.

3. Gaetano Cantu (1834-1914), an Italian architect and engineer who designed several notable buildings in Milan, including the Palazzo della Borsa (Stock Exchange Building).

4. Giovanni Cantu (1518-1592), an Italian painter and sculptor active during the Renaissance period, known for his works in churches and palaces in Naples and other parts of southern Italy.

5. Antonio Cantu (1765-1822), an Italian composer and music theorist who contributed to the development of opera and sacred music in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

The Cantu surname has also been associated with various place names in Italy, such as Cantu, a town in the province of Como, Lombardy. The town's name is derived from the Latin word "cantus," further reinforcing the connection between the surname and its musical origins.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Cantú

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

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

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

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