History of your Surname
Get access to Cantor family records.Start a free trial

Cantor Family History

Cantor Name Meaning

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 . German and Jewish (Ashkenazic): variant of Kantor . French (Picardy): learned form of chantre ‘singer’. Compare 1 above.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Canter, Kantor, Cater, Pastor, Claytor, Santor, Mantor, Sartor

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Black & white image of a young woman scientist

Where is the Cantor family from?

You can see how Cantor families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Cantor family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1861 and 1920. The most Cantor families were found in USA in 1920. In 1880 there were 26 Cantor families living in New York. This was about 39% of all the recorded Cantor's in USA. New York had the highest population of Cantor families in 1880.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Cantor surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
Mapbox
© Mapbox © OpenStreetMap Improve this map

What did your Cantor ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Salesman and Bookkeeper were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Cantor. 25% of Cantor men worked as a Salesman and 11% of Cantor women worked as a Bookkeeper. Some less common occupations for Americans named Cantor were Manager and Clerk. .

View Census Data for Cantor | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Salesman
    25%
  • Laborer
    6%
  • Proprietor
    6%
  • Manager
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Bookkeeper
    11%
  • Saleslady
    10%
  • Stenographer
    8%
  • Clerk
    8%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Cantor family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 19,000 census records available for the last name Cantor. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Cantor census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Cantor

Passenger Lists

There are 6,000 immigration records available for the last name Cantor. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Cantor immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 3,000 military records available for the last name Cantor. For the veterans among your Cantor ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Cantor military records

You've only scratched the surface of Cantor family history

Discover More

What is the average Cantor lifespan?

Between 1946 and 2004, in the United States, Cantor life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1949, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Cantor in 1946 was 47, and 84 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Cantor

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Cantor family tree

Explore Your Tree

Browse profiles of historical people with the Cantor last name

Search for another surname
Enter last name/surname
Start a 14-Day Free Trial