NameCensus.

UK surname

Cantor

A Jewish occupational surname derived from the Latin word for singer or someone who leads liturgical prayer and chanting.

In the 1881 census there were 78 people recorded with the Cantor surname, ranking it #22,500 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 276, ranked #15,673, up from #22,500 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to St Mary Whitechapel, St Dunstan Stepney and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Leeds, Sefton and Cardiff.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cantor is 304 in 2003. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 253.8%.

1881 census count

78

Ranked #22,500

Modern count

276

2016, ranked #15,673

Peak year

2003

304 bearers

Map years

6

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cantor had 78 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #22,500 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 276 in 2016, ranked #15,673.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 243 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Outer Suburbs.

Cantor surname distribution map

The map shows where the Cantor surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Cantor surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Cantor over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 51 #24,096
1861 historical 54 #27,127
1881 historical 78 #22,500
1891 historical 104 #23,388
1901 historical 194 #15,425
1911 historical 243 #13,163
1997 modern 270 #14,515
1998 modern 281 #14,506
1999 modern 281 #14,578
2000 modern 284 #14,457
2001 modern 285 #14,191
2002 modern 294 #14,180
2003 modern 304 #13,685
2004 modern 283 #14,418
2005 modern 282 #14,368
2006 modern 282 #14,459
2007 modern 278 #14,773
2008 modern 273 #15,113
2009 modern 278 #15,230
2010 modern 295 #14,911
2011 modern 295 #14,758
2012 modern 276 #15,427
2013 modern 295 #14,918
2014 modern 293 #15,095
2015 modern 284 #15,344
2016 modern 276 #15,673

Geography

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Where Cantors are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around St Mary Whitechapel, St Dunstan Stepney, Manchester, St John Hackney and West Derby. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Leeds, Sefton, Cardiff and Trafford. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 St Mary Whitechapel London (East Districts)
2 St Dunstan Stepney London (East Districts)
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 St John Hackney London (North Districts)
5 West Derby Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Leeds 023 Leeds
2 Leeds 015 Leeds
3 Sefton 009 Sefton
4 Cardiff 008 Cardiff
5 Trafford 028 Trafford

Forenames

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First names often paired with Cantor

These lists show first names that appear often with the Cantor surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Cantor

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Cantor, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals

Group

Outer Suburbs

Nationally, the Cantor surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Outer Suburbs, within Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals. This does not mean every Cantor household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods are found on the outer edges of many towns and cities. Many residents were born outside the UK. Indian ethnic group representation is high. There are high numbers of families with dependent children aged 5 to 14. Incidences of disability and of provision of unpaid care are low. Neighbourhoods provide a mix of detached housing and flats, and terraced housing is not uncommon. Levels of overcrowding are low and homeownership rates are high. Professional and managerial occupations are prevalent: unemployment is low and education to degree level is the norm.

Wider pattern

Those working within the managerial, professional and administrative occupations typically reflect a wide range of ethnic groups, and reside in detached or semi-detached housing. Their residential locations at the edges of cities and conurbations and car-based lifestyles are more characteristic of Supergroup membership than birthplace or participation in child-rearing. Houses are typically owner-occupied and marriage rates are lower than the national average. This Supergroup is found throughout suburban UK.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Cantor is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Cantor is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Cantor falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Cantor is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Other

This describes the area pattern most associated with Cantor, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Cantor

The surname Cantor is an occupational name that originated in medieval France and England. It derives from the Latin word "cantor," meaning a singer or chanter, particularly one who sang or chanted liturgical music in a church. The name likely referred to someone who worked as a precentor or leader of the choir in a monastery, cathedral, or church.

The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the late 12th century in England. The Pipe Rolls of 1195 mention a William Cantor in Norfolk, and the Curia Regis Rolls of 1208 record a Robert Cantor in Oxfordshire. These early examples suggest that the name was already established in various parts of the country by the late 12th and early 13th centuries.

In medieval times, the name Cantor was often spelled in various ways, such as Cantour, Chauntour, and Chaunter, reflecting the different pronunciations and regional variations in spelling. Some early examples include a William le Chaunter mentioned in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1262 and a John Chauntour recorded in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1296.

One notable historical figure with the surname Cantor was Thomas Cantor, who served as the Bishop of Hereford from 1420 to 1432. Another was Thomas Cantor, a 16th-century English composer and Master of the Children of the Chapel Royal during the reign of Henry VIII.

In the 13th century, the name Cantor was also found in France, where it was sometimes spelled Chanteur or Chanteur. One of the earliest recorded instances is that of Aubry le Chanteur, who was mentioned in the Cartulaire de l'Abbaye de Sainte-Geneviève de Paris in 1218.

Other notable individuals with the surname Cantor include Georg Cantor (1845-1918), a German mathematician and inventor of set theory; Eddie Cantor (1892-1964), an American comedian, dancer, singer, actor, and songwriter; and Moritz Benedikt Cantor (1829-1920), a German historian of mathematics.

Throughout its history, the surname Cantor has been associated with the profession of singing or chanting, particularly in religious settings, and has been carried by individuals from various backgrounds, including clergy, composers, mathematicians, and entertainers.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Cantor families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cantor surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 62 Cantors recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.15x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 62 8.15x
Essex 6 4.00x
Kent 2 0.77x
Lancashire 2 0.22x
Staffordshire 2 0.78x
Hertfordshire 1 1.91x
Norfolk 1 0.85x
Pembrokeshire 1 4.14x
Surrey 1 0.27x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Mile End Old Town London in Middlesex leads with 22 Cantors recorded in 1881 and an index of 135.89x.

Place Total Index
Mile End Old Town London 22 135.89x
Spitalfields London 7 122.38x
Prittlewell 6 288.46x
St George Bloomsbury 6 137.61x
Willesden 6 83.68x
Hackney London 5 11.72x
Whitechapel London 5 66.67x
Margate St John Baptist 2 42.11x
Paddington London 2 7.15x
St George In East London 2 27.93x
St Luke London 2 16.39x
St Pancras London 2 3.27x
West Derby 2 7.57x
Wolverhampton 2 10.13x
Croydon 1 4.86x
Islington London 1 1.36x
Norwich St Helen 1 666.67x
St Issells 1 196.08x
St Marylebone London 1 2.46x
Watford 1 24.57x
Westminster St Margaret 1 27.25x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Cantor surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Cantor surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Joseph 4
Samuel 4
Henry 3
Morris 3
Ferdinand 2
James 2
Solomon 2
William 2
Char. 1
Hyam 1
John 1
Judah 1
Louis 1
Ludwig 1
Moss 1
Otto 1
Phillip 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Cantor households.

FAQ

Cantor surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cantor surname in 1881?

In 1881, 78 people were recorded with the Cantor surname. That placed it at #22,500 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cantor surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 276 in 2016. That gives Cantor a modern rank of #15,673.

What does the Cantor surname mean?

A Jewish occupational surname derived from the Latin word for singer or someone who leads liturgical prayer and chanting.

What does the Cantor map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Cantor bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.