2000
#8,044
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,802
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.41
Rare Last name
Kantor
A Jewish occupational surname referring to a cantor, the leader of liturgical singing in a synagogue.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,277 Americans carry the last name Kantor. That puts it at #8,486 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.25 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 80,139 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kantor surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Kantor with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.3K
1 in 80,139
Census rank
#8,486
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,730 bearers of the surname Kantor in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.25 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8486th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kantor, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kantor
The surname Kantor is of German origin, with its roots traceable back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the German word "Kantor," which refers to a church precentor or a leader of a choir. This occupation-based surname suggests that the earliest bearers of this name were likely associated with religious institutions or musical roles within churches.
The name Kantor is believed to have originated in various regions of Germany, particularly in areas where the German language was predominant. Its earliest recorded appearance can be found in medieval documents and records dating back to the 13th and 14th centuries, although the exact dates and locations remain uncertain.
One of the earliest known references to the name Kantor can be found in the Stadtbuch (city book) of Quedlinburg, a town in present-day Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. This record, dating back to the 14th century, mentions a certain Johannes Kantor, who was likely a precentor or choir leader in one of the local churches.
In the 15th century, the name Kantor appeared in the Nürnberger Bürgerbuch (Nuremberg citizen book), which documented the citizens of the imperial city of Nuremberg. This suggests that individuals bearing this surname had established themselves in this influential city during that time period.
Notable individuals with the surname Kantor throughout history include:
1. Benedykt Kantor (c. 1530-1608), a Polish Renaissance composer and organist.
2. Tadeusz Kantor (1915-1990), a renowned Polish avant-garde artist, painter, and theater director, known for his innovative theatrical productions and experimental approach to art.
3. Shari Kantor (born 1965), an American writer and editor, best known for her work on the popular television series "The X-Files."
4. Marvin Kantor (1923-2004), an American sociologist and author, known for his contributions to the field of social psychology.
5. Mikhail Kantor (born 1957), a Russian businessman and philanthropist, who is the co-founder of the World Holocaust Forum Foundation.
While the surname Kantor has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to various parts of the world, with notable bearers emerging in countries like Poland, Russia, and the United States, among others. The name's enduring presence serves as a testament to its rich historical and cultural significance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kantor
Among Census respondents with the surname Kantor, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Kantor bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Kantor surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.0% · 3,430
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 134
- Two or more races2.9% · 108
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 41
- Black or African American0.4% · 15
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kantor
Kantor appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#8,322
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,982
+180 bearers (+4.7%)
Per 100,000 1.35
Rank movement Down 278 places
2020
#8,486
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,730
-252 bearers (-6.3%)
Per 100,000 1.25
Rank movement Down 164 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,044 | 3,802 | 1.41 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,322 | 3,982 | 1.35 | +180 bearers (+4.7%) | Down 278 places |
| 2020 | #8,486 | 3,730 | 1.25 | -252 bearers (-6.3%) | Down 164 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Kantor surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #8,322 | #8,486 | -2.0% |
| Count | 3,982 | 3,730 | -6.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.35 | 1.25 | -7.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kantor bearers went from 3,982 to 3,730 (-6.3% change). The surname moved down 164 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,322 to #8,486.
FAQ
Kantor surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kantor?
Name Census estimates that about 4,277 living Americans carry the surname Kantor. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 80,139 residents.
How common is Kantor?
Kantor ranks #8,486 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.25 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,730 people with the surname Kantor. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,277), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.25 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.25 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Kantor.
Has Kantor become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kantor went from 3,982 recorded bearers to 3,730. That is a decrease of 252 (-6.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,322 to #8,486.
What does the Census say about the background of Kantor?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kantor, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (2.9%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Kantor in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.0% (3,430 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kantor appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.0%), Hispanic (3.6%), Two or More Races (2.9%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Kantor (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Kantor mean?
A Jewish occupational surname referring to a cantor, the leader of liturgical singing in a synagogue. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Kantor (1.25 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Kantor?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people are called Kantor at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.