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

Cantwell, 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 Cantwell surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Cantwell in America

Cantwell is the 5259th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Cantwell surname appeared 6,635 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Cantwell.

We can also compare 2010 data for Cantwell 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 Cantwell

The surname Cantwell has its origins in England, tracing back to the medieval era. It is derived from the Old English words 'cante' meaning steep or precipitous and 'well' denoting a spring or stream. Collectively, Cantwell referred to a settlement near a steep well or spring.

The name is believed to have emerged in the counties of Essex and Suffolk, where several villages and hamlets bore the name Cantwell or variations like Cantley. One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is spelled 'Cantewell'.

In the 13th century, records show a Robert de Cantwell owning lands in Norfolk. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 mention a William de Cantewell from Essex. During this period, the name was also found in other regions like Cambridgeshire and Kent, often spelled as Cantewell, Cantewelle, or Cantweleygh.

Notable individuals bearing the Cantwell surname include Sir Robert Cantwell (c.1550-1627), an English merchant and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1616. John Cantwell (1663-1722) was an Irish Catholic bishop who played a significant role in establishing schools and churches in the Diocese of Meath.

In the 18th century, Edward Cantwell (1718-1788) was an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works. Samuel Cantwell (1804-1863) was an American politician and lawyer who served as a U.S. Senator from Illinois in the 1840s.

One of the most renowned individuals with this surname was Sir James Cantwell (1825-1905), a British businessman and philanthropist. He founded the Cantwell Shipping Company and donated generously to educational and charitable causes in his hometown of Liverpool.

While the Cantwell surname originated in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including Ireland, America, and Australia, due to migration and the dispersal of families over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Cantwell

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

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

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

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