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

Kanté, 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 Kanté surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kanté in America

Kanté is the 41501st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kanté surname appeared 524 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 Kanté.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kanté 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 Kanté

The surname KANTE has its origins in West Africa, specifically in the modern-day nation of Mali. It is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century, when the Mali Empire was at its height. The name is thought to be derived from the Bambara word "kan," meaning "warrior" or "fighter."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name KANTE can be found in the Tarikh al-Fattash, a 16th-century chronicle written by the Timbuktu scholar Mahmoud Kati. In this work, Kati mentions a prominent military leader named Kante Burama who served under the legendary ruler Sundiata Keita during the founding of the Mali Empire in the early 13th century.

As the Mali Empire expanded across West Africa, the KANTE name likely spread to neighboring regions, including modern-day Guinea, Senegal, and Ivory Coast. It is also possible that variations of the name, such as Cante or Kanté, emerged in these areas due to linguistic differences or regional dialects.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, as the transatlantic slave trade intensified, many individuals bearing the KANTE surname were forcibly transported from West Africa to the Americas, particularly to the Caribbean islands and parts of North and South America. This diaspora likely contributed to the further dissemination of the name across the Western Hemisphere.

Notable individuals with the surname KANTE throughout history include:

1. Mamadou Kante (c. 1830-1898), a renowned griot (oral historian) and praise singer from Mali, known for his extensive knowledge of the Mandinka epic tradition.

2. Souleymane Kante (1922-1987), a renowned Malian musician and vocalist, considered one of the pioneers of the Wassoulou music genre.

3. Seydou Kante (1936-2018), a renowned Malian sculptor and painter, known for his intricate wooden sculptures depicting themes from Malian culture and mythology.

4. Salif Keita (born 1949), a world-famous Malian singer and songwriter, often referred to as the "Golden Voice of Africa."

5. N'Golo Kante (born 1991), a professional football player from France, who has played for Leicester City and Chelsea, and has represented the French national team.

The surname KANTE has a rich cultural heritage and a long history deeply rooted in the traditions and struggles of West African societies. Its resilience and endurance across centuries and continents serve as a testament to the remarkable journey of the African diaspora.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kanté

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

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

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

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