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

Cantua, 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 Cantua surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Cantua in America

Cantua is the 77788th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Cantua surname appeared 246 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Cantua.

We can also compare 2010 data for Cantua 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 Cantua

The surname Cantua has its origins in Spain, with records dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Spanish word "cantuá," which refers to a type of flowering plant native to the Andes region of South America. This suggests that the name may have been given to someone associated with this plant, perhaps a gardener or botanist.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Cantua surname can be found in the Spanish Inquisition records from the late 1500s. These records document a certain Juan Cantua, who was a merchant from Seville, Spain. Unfortunately, not much else is known about this individual.

In the 17th century, there are records of a family with the Cantua surname residing in the city of Cadiz, located in the southern region of Andalusia, Spain. This family was involved in maritime trade and had connections to the Spanish colonies in the Americas.

A notable figure bearing the Cantua surname was Mateo Cantua, a Spanish explorer and cartographer who lived in the late 17th century. He was part of an expedition to the Pacific Northwest region of North America and is credited with mapping parts of the present-day state of Oregon.

In the 18th century, the Cantua surname appeared in records from the town of Fuengirola, located on the Costa del Sol in the province of Málaga, Spain. One individual of note from this time period was Francisco Cantua, a respected lawyer and magistrate who served in the local courts.

Moving into the 19th century, there are records of a family with the Cantua surname living in the city of Córdoba, Argentina. This family had emigrated from Spain during the colonial period and established themselves as landowners and ranchers in the region.

Throughout history, the Cantua surname has been relatively uncommon, with pockets of families bearing the name found in various parts of Spain and its former colonies. While not a widely known surname, it has a rich history tied to the Spanish language and culture.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Cantua

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

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

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

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