Explore the Family Name Cantor
The meaning of Cantor
1. English (Middlesex, of Norman origin): nickname or occupational name from Old French c(h)aunteor, Anglo-Norman French c(h)aunter ‘singer, chorister, one who leads the singing’, also (in Old French) ‘poet, minstrel’. The earliest examples of this surname are from Latin cantor (the ancestor of the Old French word) and refer to precentors in cathedrals or monasteries, while the modern surname, of Old French origin, will have originally denoted a secular singing role. Compare Canter. 2. German and Jewish (Ashkenazic): variant of Kantor. 3. French (Picardy): learned form of chantre ‘singer’. Compare 1 above. Some characteristic forenames: Jewish Meyer, Emanuel, Este, Hyman, Isador, Isadore, Isidor, Yetta.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Cantor in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Cantor has increased from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, Cantor was ranked the 7713th most popular surname in the United States, by 2010 it had moved up to the 7500th position, indicating a positive change of approximately 2.76%. The count of individuals with this surname also rose from 3978 in 2000 to 4441 in 2010, which is an increase of about 11.64%. Consequently, the proportion of people bearing the surname Cantor per 100,000 residents also grew by 2.72%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #7,713 | #7,500 | 2.76% |
| Count | 3,978 | 4,441 | 11.64% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.47 | 1.51 | 2.72% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Cantor
The Decennial U.S. Census data also sheds light on the ethnic identity of individuals with the surname Cantor. Most notably, there was a significant rise in those identifying as Hispanic, jumping from 16.67% in 2000 to 24.93% in 2010, marking an impressive growth of almost 50%. While the largest ethnic group remains those who identify as White, dropping slightly from 78.48% in 2000 to 69.58% in 2010. We see minor increases in both the Asian/Pacific Islander and Black categories, rising from 3.34% to 3.72% and 0.33% to 0.41%, respectively. Those identifying as two or more races also saw a substantial increase of almost 38%. However, the data shows a decrease in the American Indian and Alaskan Native category, going down by 50% from 2000 to 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 78.48% | 69.58% | -11.34% |
| Hispanic | 16.67% | 24.93% | 49.55% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 3.34% | 3.72% | 11.38% |
| Two or More Races | 0.9% | 1.24% | 37.78% |
| Black | 0.33% | 0.41% | 24.24% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.28% | 0.14% | -50% |
Cantor ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Cantor is Ashkenazi Jewish, which comprises 49.9% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (16.8%) and French & German (8.4%). Additional ancestries include Italian, Eastern European, Spanish & Portuguese, Indigenous American, and Filipino & Austronesian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| Ashkenazi Jewish | 49.9% |
| British & Irish | 16.8% |
| French & German | 8.4% |
| Other | 24.9% |
Possible origins of the surname Cantor
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Cantor have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 37.70% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 37.70% |
| West Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 37.70% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 37.70% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 36.90% |
What Cantor haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Cantor is R-P312, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-P312 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include E-L29 and E-M34, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Rosenblum, Schwartz, Edelman, Stern, Goldstein, Feldman, Silverstein, Rubin, Weinstein, Goldman.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Cantor surname are: K1a1b1a, H1, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Cantor have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Cantor" Surname 48.0%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Cantor" Surname 20.6%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Cantor" Surname 15.1%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Cantor" Surname 16.3%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Cantor?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Cantor are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition