NameCensus.

UK surname

Canty

Derived from the Irish Ó Cainnte, meaning "descendant of Cainneach," a personal name meaning "handsome," "attractive," or "beautiful."

In the 1881 census there were 352 people recorded with the Canty surname, ranking it #8,718 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 726, ranked #7,493, up from #8,718 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to St George in the East, St Mary Whitechapel and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bromley, Boston and The Vale of Glamorgan.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Canty is 770 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 106.3%.

1881 census count

352

Ranked #8,718

Modern count

726

2016, ranked #7,493

Peak year

1999

770 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Canty had 352 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,718 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 726 in 2016, ranked #7,493.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 559 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Canty surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Canty surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Canty 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 322 #7,215
1861 historical 266 #9,318
1881 historical 352 #8,718
1891 historical 385 #9,150
1901 historical 512 #7,918
1911 historical 559 #7,195
1997 modern 731 #7,000
1998 modern 762 #7,016
1999 modern 770 #6,996
2000 modern 735 #7,220
2001 modern 730 #7,118
2002 modern 712 #7,412
2003 modern 692 #7,449
2004 modern 681 #7,569
2005 modern 675 #7,556
2006 modern 676 #7,576
2007 modern 689 #7,515
2008 modern 705 #7,439
2009 modern 696 #7,673
2010 modern 716 #7,645
2011 modern 709 #7,627
2012 modern 713 #7,499
2013 modern 724 #7,542
2014 modern 730 #7,534
2015 modern 727 #7,510
2016 modern 726 #7,493

Geography

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Where Cantys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around St George in the East, St Mary Whitechapel, London parishes, Wigan and All Saints Poplar. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bromley, Boston, The Vale of Glamorgan, Bolton and Lincoln. 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 George in the East London (East Districts)
2 St Mary Whitechapel London (East Districts)
3 London parishes London 3
4 Wigan Lancashire
5 All Saints Poplar London (East Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bromley 033 Bromley
2 Boston 001 Boston
3 The Vale of Glamorgan 007 Vale of Glamorgan
4 Bolton 011 Bolton
5 Lincoln 004 Lincoln

Forenames

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First names often paired with Canty

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Canty

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Canty, 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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Canty surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Canty household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Canty is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Canty 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

Canty falls in decile 4 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Canty is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Canty

The surname Canty is of English origin and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word "cant," which means "cheerful" or "pleasant." The name was likely given as a nickname to someone with a jovial personality or a pleasant demeanor.

In the Domesday Book, a record of landowners in England compiled in 1086, there is a reference to a man named "Cantus" in Huntingdonshire. This is believed to be one of the earliest recorded instances of the name.

The Canty surname can also be found in various historical records from different parts of England, such as the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1191, which mention a "William Cantey." Additionally, in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, there is a reference to a "Robert le Canty."

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Canty was Sir John Canty, a prominent landowner and knight who lived in the 14th century. He is mentioned in the Court Rolls of Manors in Essex from the year 1345.

Another notable figure was William Canty, a merchant and alderman from the city of London, who lived in the 15th century. He is mentioned in the records of the Worshipful Company of Mercers, one of the oldest livery companies in London, dating back to 1472.

In the 16th century, there was a famous English clergyman named Thomas Canty, who served as the Bishop of Chichester from 1550 to 1554. He is mentioned in various ecclesiastical records from that period.

During the 17th century, a man named John Canty (1618-1670) was a well-known writer and poet from Oxfordshire. His works include a collection of poems titled "The Muse's Recreation" published in 1659.

Another notable figure was Sir Edward Canty (1775-1848), a British military officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars and later became a member of Parliament. He is mentioned in various military records and parliamentary documents from the early 19th century.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Canty families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Canty 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 141 Cantys recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.15x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 141 4.15x
Lincolnshire 37 6.82x
Yorkshire 31 0.92x
Surrey 26 1.57x
Kent 22 1.90x
Glamorgan 18 3.05x
Hampshire 11 1.58x
Staffordshire 11 0.96x
Lancashire 9 0.22x
Monmouthshire 9 3.67x
Essex 7 1.04x
Cheshire 6 0.80x
Durham 6 0.59x
Sussex 4 0.70x
Isle of Man 3 4.76x
Shropshire 3 1.02x
Devon 2 0.28x
Suffolk 2 0.48x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Great Grimsby in Lincolnshire leads with 19 Cantys recorded in 1881 and an index of 55.15x.

Place Total Index
Great Grimsby 19 55.15x
Poplar London 16 24.97x
St George In East London 13 40.71x
Whitgift 12 2790.70x
Barton St Peter 11 441.77x
Mile End Old Town London 11 15.22x
Portsea 11 8.07x
Harborne 10 27.23x
St Pancras London 10 3.66x
Roath 9 33.52x
Whitechapel London 9 26.90x
Battersea 8 6.40x
Bradford 8 9.82x
Cardiff St Mary 8 24.57x
Dartford 8 67.57x
Ratcliffe London 8 42.67x
Bromley London 7 9.37x
Camberwell 7 3.23x
Clitheroe 7 59.02x
Fulham London 7 14.22x
Limehouse London 7 18.78x
St Botolph Aldgate London 7 100.14x
Woolwich 7 16.36x
Gateshead 6 7.94x
Islington London 6 1.82x
Kensington London 6 3.18x
East Ham 5 40.19x
Monks Coppenhall 5 17.68x
Paddington London 5 4.01x
Shoreditch London 5 3.40x
Claxby In Caistor 4 1052.63x
Mitcham 4 38.28x
Nether Hallam 4 8.79x
Tonbridge 4 9.58x
Abergavenny 3 32.64x
Aberystruth 3 13.87x
Chepstow 3 71.77x
Onchan 3 16.52x
Sculcoates 3 5.63x
Shadwell London 3 31.58x
St Andrew Holborn London 3 20.41x
St Marylebone London 3 1.66x
Ipswich St Clement 2 19.03x
Lewes St John Under 2 256.41x
Newington 2 1.59x
Seaford 2 102.56x
St Anne Soho London 2 10.31x
St George Hanover Square 2 3.34x
St Giles In Fields London 2 12.01x
Sutton At Hone 2 83.33x
Westminster St John 2 4.84x
Ashton Under Lyne 1 1.14x
Bishops Castle Out 1 166.67x
Carshalton 1 15.80x
Clun Eddycliff 1 181.82x
Croydon 1 1.09x
Edgton 1 384.62x
Edmonton 1 3.66x
Goole 1 17.73x
Grays Thurrock 1 16.05x
Hackney London 1 0.53x
Hampstead London 1 1.89x
Heston 1 8.87x
Hornsey 1 2.33x
Ingrave 1 163.93x
Lidford 1 31.55x
Limber Magna 1 175.44x
Litherland 1 11.88x
Newington 1 10.80x
Oakford 1 172.41x
Ormesby 1 11.06x
Penge 1 4.61x
Rotherhithe 1 2.38x
Southwark Christchurch 1 6.29x
St George Martyr London 1 14.53x
St Giles Cripplegate 1 22.17x
St Swithin Lincoln 1 11.72x
Stone 1 6.82x
Swansea Town 1 2.06x
Witton Cum Twambrooks 1 14.99x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 37
Ellen 14
Elizabeth 9
Margaret 9
Alice 6
Annie 6
Catherine 6
Sarah 5
Hannah 4
Jane 4
Julia 4
Louisa 4
Ann 3
Betsy 3
Bridget 3
Clara 3
Eliza 3
Sophia 3
Agnes 2
Charlotte 2
Emma 2
Katherine 2
Martha 2
Selina 2
Susan 2
Auguste 1
Cathe. 1
Cathrine 1
Elizbth. 1
Elvia 1
Emily 1
Esther 1
Evelyn 1
Florence 1
Georgiana 1
Hanah 1
Harriett 1
Jemima 1
Jessie 1
Jinnie 1
Johanna 1
Johannah 1
Kate 1
Kathleen 1
Lizzy 1
Maggy 1
Margt. 1
Maria 1
Marie 1
Tresa 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 32
William 25
Thomas 13
Patrick 8
James 7
Michael 7
Alfred 6
Timothy 6
Charles 5
Richard 4
David 3
Dennis 3
Frederick 3
Jeremiah 3
Cornelius 2
George 2
Henry 2
Horace 2
Matthew 2
Morgan 2
Owen 2
Peter 2
Robert 2
Albert 1
Anthony 1
Colenus 1
Daniel 1
Denis 1
Edbert 1
Edgar 1
Edward 1
Francis 1
Fredric 1
Geo.Wm. 1
Harold 1
Joseph 1
Josh. 1
Michal 1
Montague 1
Morris 1
Thom. 1
Walter 1
Willam 1
Willie 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Canty surname: questions and answers

How common was the Canty surname in 1881?

In 1881, 352 people were recorded with the Canty surname. That placed it at #8,718 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Canty surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 726 in 2016. That gives Canty a modern rank of #7,493.

What does the Canty surname mean?

Derived from the Irish Ó Cainnte, meaning "descendant of Cainneach," a personal name meaning "handsome," "attractive," or "beautiful."

What does the Canty map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Canty 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.