NameCensus.

UK surname

Kant

A surname derived from the German word "Kant," meaning "edge" or "border."

In the 1881 census there were 31 people recorded with the Kant surname, ranking it #29,218 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 111, ranked #29,049, up from #29,218 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include The Vale of Glamorgan, Coventry and Leicester.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Kant is 111 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 258.1%.

1881 census count

31

Ranked #29,218

Modern count

111

2016, ranked #29,049

Peak year

2016

111 bearers

Map years

1

2016 to 2016

Key insights

  • Kant had 31 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #29,218 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 111 in 2016, ranked #29,049.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 93 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Student Living and Professional Footholds.

Kant surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Kant surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Kant 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 17 #30,267
1861 historical 93 #22,009
1881 historical 31 #29,218
1891 historical 84 #26,229
1901 historical 69 #26,499
1911 historical 22 #31,030
1997 modern 63 #31,335
1998 modern 70 #30,968
1999 modern 83 #29,823
2000 modern 86 #29,484
2001 modern 83 #29,617
2002 modern 87 #29,644
2003 modern 77 #30,762
2004 modern 83 #30,352
2005 modern 82 #30,617
2006 modern 89 #30,027
2007 modern 86 #30,808
2008 modern 80 #31,833
2009 modern 85 #31,717
2010 modern 98 #30,540
2011 modern 96 #30,721
2012 modern 93 #31,409
2013 modern 105 #29,916
2014 modern 109 #29,452
2015 modern 110 #29,157
2016 modern 111 #29,049

Geography

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Where Kants are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to The Vale of Glamorgan, Coventry, Leicester, Bolton and Wycombe. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 The Vale of Glamorgan 004 Vale of Glamorgan
2 Coventry 016 Coventry
3 Leicester 005 Leicester
4 Bolton 020 Bolton
5 Wycombe 008 Wycombe

Forenames

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First names often paired with Kant

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

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Kant

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

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Student Living and Professional Footholds

Nationally, the Kant surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Student Living and Professional Footholds, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Kant household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

The Group includes many students, some of whom reside in communal residences. Single-person households are the most prevalent and the modal age band is 25 to 44. There are few families with dependent children. A significant number of White residents were born in EU countries (although UK-born residents are more common than in the rest of the Group), and households reflect a diversity of ethnic groups. Residential turnover is exceptionally high and, communal properties aside, flats are the norm. Some properties, including those in the private rental sector, are over-crowded. Many residents are professionals and technicians educated to degree level, and the Group is particularly common near the campuses of established university towns and cities.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburban Asian Communities

Group

Settled Semi-Detached Asians

Within London, Kant is most associated with areas classed as Settled Semi-Detached Asians, part of Suburban Asian Communities. 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 residents share Supergroup characteristics of large (non-Chinese) Asian populations but those identifying as Bangladeshi are notably absent. Many residents were born in the UK, while other more recent migrants have African birthplaces. Semi-detached housing, much of it owner occupied, prevails in these suburban residential locations.

Wider London pattern

Many residents of these neighbourhoods are of (non-Chinese) Asian descent, with many identifying as Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi. Neighbourhoods are located across large areas of suburban west, north-east and south London. Detached, semi-detached and terraced houses are more prevalent than flats and socially rented housing is uncommon. Few residents live in communal establishments. Many families have dependent children, sometimes in overcrowded accommodation, and few households are ethnically mixed. Marriage rates are above the London average. The even age distribution, relative absence of individuals living alone and frequent incidence of households with children suggests that multi-generation households may be relatively common. Employment is often in skilled trades, elementary, sales and customer service occupations, and roles as process, plant, and machine operatives. Manufacturing and construction are well represented, along with employment in distribution, hotels, and restaurants. Many adults have only level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. English is not used at home by some residents. Religious affiliation is above average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Kant 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

Kant falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Kant 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 - Other

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

Meaning and origin of Kant

The surname Kant has its origins in Germany, where it first appeared in the early 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Middle Low German word "kant," which means "edge" or "border." This suggests that the name may have initially been given to someone who lived on the outskirts of a town or village.

In the late 13th century, there are records of a family named Kant residing in the city of Königsberg, which was then part of the Prussian region of the Holy Roman Empire. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Johannes Kant, who was born in Königsberg around 1280.

The Kant surname gained significant prominence in the 18th century due to the renowned philosopher Immanuel Kant, who was born in 1724 in Königsberg. Kant's groundbreaking works, such as the "Critique of Pure Reason" and "Critique of Practical Reason," had a profound impact on Western philosophy and laid the foundation for modern metaphysics and epistemology.

Another notable figure with the Kant surname was Hermann Kant, a German mathematician and physicist born in 1853. He made significant contributions to the field of theoretical physics, particularly in the areas of thermodynamics and kinetic theory of gases.

In the 19th century, the Kant family spread across various regions of Germany, as well as to neighboring countries like Poland and Russia. One prominent member was Jakob Kant, a Russian military officer and explorer born in 1814, who led several expeditions to Central Asia and the Caucasus region.

The surname Kant can also be found in historical records from the Netherlands, where it is believed to have been introduced by German immigrants. One such example is the Dutch philosopher and theologian Johannes Kant, who lived in the 17th century and was a prominent figure in the Dutch Reformed Church.

Throughout its history, the Kant surname has been associated with a variety of professions, including academia, military service, and religious leadership. However, it remains most closely linked to the legacy of Immanuel Kant, whose philosophical contributions have had a lasting impact on Western thought and continue to shape intellectual discourse to this day.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Kant families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Kant 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. Lanarkshire leads with 11 Kants recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.25x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 11 11.25x
Suffolk 6 16.29x
Yorkshire 4 1.33x
Lancashire 3 0.84x
Lincolnshire 2 4.14x
Middlesex 2 0.66x
Midlothian 2 4.94x
Norfolk 1 2.15x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Barony in Lanarkshire leads with 11 Kants recorded in 1881 and an index of 44.44x.

Place Total Index
Barony 11 44.44x
Witnesham 6 12000.00x
Manchester 3 18.59x
Manningham 3 81.30x
Kirknewton East 2 1176.47x
St Pancras London 2 8.22x
Great Grimsby 1 32.57x
Lakenham 1 151.52x
Pudsey 1 62.50x
Tydd St Mary 1 1000.00x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 2
Martha 2
Amelia 1
Caroline 1
Janet 1
Lilian 1
Mary 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
George 2
Edward 1
Harry 1
Samuel 1
Thomas 1
Tommy 1
William 1
Wm. 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 Kant households.

FAQ

Kant surname: questions and answers

How common was the Kant surname in 1881?

In 1881, 31 people were recorded with the Kant surname. That placed it at #29,218 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Kant surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 111 in 2016. That gives Kant a modern rank of #29,049.

What does the Kant surname mean?

A surname derived from the German word "Kant," meaning "edge" or "border."

What does the Kant map show?

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