Canton Family History

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Canton Name Meaning

Galician (Cantón): habitational name from places in Lugo and Pontevedra provinces, in Galicia, named Cantón, from a derivative of canto ‘corner’ (see Canto). Southern French: topographic name, from Occitan canton ‘corner’, ‘angle’, denoting someone who lived on a street corner.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press


Similar surnames: Canto, Caton, Danton, Cantin, Cayton, Cantone, Calton, Clanton

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Canton Family Origin

Where is the Canton family from?

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1840
    1920
    You can see how Canton families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Canton family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Canton families were found in the USA in 1920. In 1840 there were 2 Canton families living in Ohio. This was about 50% of all the recorded Canton's in the USA. Ohio had the highest population of Canton families in 1840.
    Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Canton surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

    View Census Data for Canton

    Canton Family Occupations

    What did your Canton ancestors do for a living?

    In 1880, the most common Canton occupation in the USA was Farmer. 24% of Canton's were Farmers. Farmer, Keeping House and Laborer were the top 3 reported jobs worked by Canton. A less common occupation for the Canton family was Farming.

    View Census data for Canton | Data not to scale

    • Farmer

      24%

    • Keeping House

      11%

    • Laborer

      11%

    • Farming

      5%

    Census records can tell you a lot of little known facts about your Canton ancestors, such as occupation. Occupation can tell you about your ancestor's social and economic status.

    Canton Historical Records

    What Canton family records will you find?

    Census Record

    There are 20,000 census records available for the last name Canton. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Canton census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

    Search 1940's US census records for Canton

    Passenger List

    There are 5,000 immigration records available for the last name Canton. 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 Canton immigration records

    Draft Card

    There are 8,000 military records available for the last name Canton. For the veterans among your Canton ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

    View all Canton military records

    You've only scratched the surface of Canton family history.

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    Canton Life Expectancy

    What is the average Canton lifespan?

    Between 1947 and 2004, in the United States, Canton life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1959, and highest in 1968. The average life expectancy for Canton in 1947 was 49, and 76 in 2004.

    View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Canton

    An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Canton ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

    Famous Canton Family Ancestors

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