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

Kanter, 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 Kanter surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kanter in America

Kanter is the 8285th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kanter surname appeared 4,000 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Kanter.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kanter 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 Kanter

The surname Kanter has its roots in Germany, where it originated during the medieval period, likely between the 12th and 15th centuries. It is believed to have derived from the Middle High German word "kant," meaning "edge" or "border," suggesting that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived or worked near a territorial boundary.

In the early days, the name was often spelled with variations such as "Kanter," "Canter," or "Kander," reflecting regional dialects and scribal preferences. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Historisches Ortsnamenbuch von Bayern (Historical Place Names of Bavaria), where a certain Hainrich Kanter was mentioned in association with the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber in 1368.

Notably, the name Kanter appears to have been concentrated in the southern regions of Germany, particularly in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, though it later spread to other parts of the German-speaking world. Some notable historical figures bearing this surname include Johann Kanter (1633-1679), a German theologian and author, and Johann Jakob Kanter (1738-1786), a Swiss painter and engraver.

In the 16th and 17th centuries, as migration patterns shifted across Europe, the Kanter name began to appear in other countries as well. For instance, records show a Joannes Kanter living in the Netherlands in the early 1600s, and a Johannes Kanter was documented in Sweden in the late 1700s.

Moving forward in time, the 19th century saw several prominent individuals with the Kanter surname. One such figure was Moritz Kanter (1833-1897), a German-American chess master and author, who immigrated to the United States in the mid-1800s. Another notable figure was Karl Kanter (1834-1868), an Austrian composer and music teacher.

As the 20th century dawned, the Kanter name continued to make its mark in various fields. For example, Henry Kanter (1864-1954) was an American businessman and philanthropist, while Max Kanter (1857-1936) was a German-born American politician who served as mayor of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, from 1916 to 1918.

While the surname Kanter has its origins in Germany, it has since spread across the globe, carried by generations of individuals who have left their imprint on history in diverse ways. From scholars and artists to politicians and entrepreneurs, the name has been borne by many remarkable individuals throughout the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kanter

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

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

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

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