2000
#33,735
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 637
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.24
Very Rare Last name
Cantrelle
A toponymic surname derived from the name of a place in France.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 786 Americans carry the last name Cantrelle. That puts it at #35,388 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.23 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 436,074 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cantrelle surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
786
1 in 436,074
Census rank
#35,388
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
685
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 685 bearers of the surname Cantrelle in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.23 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 35388th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cantrelle, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.0%. The next largest groups are Black (7.2%) and Hispanic (7.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cantrelle
The surname Cantrelle has its origins in France, where it first emerged in the 12th century. It is derived from the Old French word "cantrel," meaning "a small farm" or "a small estate." This suggests that the name was initially given to someone who lived on or owned a small farm or estate.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Cantrelle can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive record of landholdings commissioned by William the Conqueror. This document lists a Walter Cantrel as a land-holder in Gloucestershire, England.
In the 13th century, the name appears in various records from the regions of Normandy and Brittany in northern France. There are references to individuals with the names Cantrel, Cantrell, and Cantrelle, all of which are variations of the same surname.
One notable figure bearing this name was Jehan Cantrelle, a French nobleman who lived in the 14th century. He was a knight and served in the army of King Charles VI during the Hundred Years' War against England.
In the 16th century, the name Cantrelle began to spread across Europe as people migrated and settled in different areas. In England, there are records of a family named Cantrelle residing in the county of Somerset during this time period.
Another significant figure with this surname was Pierre Cantrelle, a French explorer and cartographer who lived from 1569 to 1635. He is best known for his detailed maps of the Caribbean islands and the Gulf of Mexico, which aided in the exploration and colonization of the region.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the name Cantrelle appeared in various parts of Europe, including France, England, and the Netherlands. In the Netherlands, there was a notable family of artists and engravers named Cantrelle who were active in the 17th century.
One of the most prominent individuals with this surname was Jean-Baptiste Cantrelle, a French physician and statistician who lived from 1801 to 1887. He is renowned for his contributions to the field of demography and his development of statistical methods for analyzing population data.
Overall, the surname Cantrelle has a rich history rooted in the French language and culture, with its earliest known origins dating back to the 12th century. It has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including noblemen, explorers, artists, and scholars, across several centuries and regions of Europe.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cantrelle
Among Census respondents with the surname Cantrelle, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.0%. The next largest groups are Black (7.2%) and Hispanic (7.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Cantrelle bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Cantrelle surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White78.0% · 534
- Black or African American7.2% · 49
- Hispanic or Latino7.0% · 48
- Two or more races5.1% · 35
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.0% · 14
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cantrelle
Cantrelle appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#34,668
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 652
+15 bearers (+2.4%)
Per 100,000 0.22
Rank movement Down 933 places
2020
#35,388
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 685
+33 bearers (+5.1%)
Per 100,000 0.23
Rank movement Down 720 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #33,735 | 637 | 0.24 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #34,668 | 652 | 0.22 | +15 bearers (+2.4%) | Down 933 places |
| 2020 | #35,388 | 685 | 0.23 | +33 bearers (+5.1%) | Down 720 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Cantrelle surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #34,668 | #35,388 | -2.1% |
| Count | 652 | 685 | 5.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.22 | 0.23 | 4.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cantrelle bearers went from 652 to 685 (+5.1% change). The surname moved down 720 positions in the national ranking, going from #34,668 to #35,388.
FAQ
Cantrelle surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cantrelle?
Name Census estimates that about 786 living Americans carry the surname Cantrelle. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 436,074 residents.
How common is Cantrelle?
Cantrelle ranks #35,388 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.23 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 685 people with the surname Cantrelle. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (786), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.23 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.23 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Cantrelle.
Has Cantrelle become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cantrelle went from 652 recorded bearers to 685. That is an increase of 33 (+5.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #34,668 to #35,388.
What does the Census say about the background of Cantrelle?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cantrelle, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.0%. The next largest groups are Black (7.2%) and Hispanic (7.0%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Cantrelle in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.0% (534 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cantrelle appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (78.0%), Black (7.2%), Hispanic (7.0%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Cantrelle (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Cantrelle mean?
A toponymic surname derived from the name of a place in France. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Cantrelle (0.23 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Cantrelle?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.