The Kantor surname
In the 2010 U.S. Census, 3,982 people carried this name — #8,322 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 74,100 people counted. That is up 5% from 3,802 in 2000.
What the name means
The meaning of the Kantor surname
From kantor (“cantor”).
From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Kantor» (Czech), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.
In Poland’s population register
2,807 people named Kantor have a registered home in Poland.
Of the 3,165 in Poland’s national register, these are the ones with a permanent address on file. They live in all 16 of Poland’s voivodeships, most of all in Lesser Poland.
Where it concentrates, on the mapWhere they live today
PESEL register, Ministry of Digital Affairs of Poland (dane.gov.pl) — CC0 · living people by voivodeship of permanent residence, 20 January 2026.
In Argentina’s national register
At least 227 people named Kantor live in Argentina.
RENAPER only publishes a name in a province when more than ten people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in City of Buenos Aires.
Where it concentrates, on the mapWhere they live today
RENAPER (National Registry of Persons, Argentina), surnames of residents by province, December 2021 — CC BY 4.0.
In Switzerland’s population statistics
55 people named Kantor live in Switzerland.
They live in 8 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, most of all in Zurich.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO), «Surnames of the permanent resident population by canton», 2025, opendata.swiss/en/dataset/nachnamen-der-standigen-wohnbevolkerung-nach-kanton3 · names with fewer than 3 bearers in a canton are not published.
In France’s civil register
France’s register of deaths holds 43 people named Kantor.
Most of them — 24 — were born outside France. Those born in France came from 14 départements, most often Nord.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they were born
Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.
In the Nordic population registers
57 people named Kantor is counted in Sweden.
Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published.
Counted, by country
Own calculations based on data from Statistics Sweden (SCB), surnames with at least two bearers, 31 December 2022 — CC BY 4.0 (names with 20 or more bearers shown).
In print
Kantor in American newspapers,
1920.
Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain.
In print
Kantor in Australian newspapers,
1870s–1990s.
869 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Kantor. The most, 148, date from the 1950s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in Victoria, at 3.0 times its expected share.
Articles, by state
Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Kantor.
Who carried it
People named Kantor,
with a public archive behind them.
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Betti Kantor 1816–1907
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Ernestine Kraus 1839–1891
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Samuel Kantor 1858–1942
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Rosa Kantor 1860–1942
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Heřman Kantor 1862–1942
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Anna Kantor 1866–1940
Wikidata (CC0) · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.
In the public record
People named Kantor,
in the records of 6 countries.
Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.
United States1,299 records
- New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 510
- U.S. alien registration index, 1940–1955 270
- Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 223
- U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 198
- New York State death index (outside NYC), 1957–2001 65
- U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 33
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Example: U.S. registration card, 1942 Military record Lester KantorBorn 1918 in New York. Enlisted 1941 at Jamaica; messenger from Kings County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1987, buried at Calverton National Cemetery, New York.
U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) -
Example: passenger manifest, 1903 Passenger record Silae KantorArrived at New York in 1904 aboard the Graf Waldersee from Hamburg, aged 15; servant. From Kolno, Russia; bound for New York.
U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) -
Example: U.S. burial record, 1864 Burial record Robert KantorU.S. Navy veteran of the Korean War. Born 1935, died 1999; buried at Fort Richardson National Cemetery, Alaska.
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
Showing 3 of 1,299 records for Kantor in the United States.
Counts: NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Record of death and interment, Camp Nelson, Kentucky, 1864, U.S. National Archives (public domain).
France21 records
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Example: French death register, 1930 Death record Felix KantorBorn 1902 in Poland; died 1994 in Saint-Mandé (Val-de-Marne).
Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte) -
Example: French death register, 1930 Death record Edith KantorBorn 1913 in Czechoslovakia; died 1990 in Paris.
Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte) -
Example: French death register, 1930 Death record Jean-Hugues Alexandre KantorBorn 1953 in Rouen (Seine-Maritime); died 1991 in Paris.
Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
Showing 3 of 21 records for Kantor in France.
Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).
Germany16 records
- Germany's First World War casualty lists, 1914–1919 15
- German emigration and citizenship files 1
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Example: German casualty list, 1918 Casualty list Alois KantorFrom Erle, Recklinghausen. Reported dead in the Prussian casualty list of 22 May 1916 (Reserve Infantry Regiment No. 130).
Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0) -
Example: German emigration file, 1883 Emigration record Karl KantorEmigrated to Weißig, Saxony in 1831.
Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek / Brandenburgisches Landeshauptarchiv (CC0) -
Example: German casualty list, 1918 Casualty list Ludwig KantorFrom Drzesk, Pleß. Reported dead in the Prussian casualty list of 8 October 1915 (Reserve Infantry Regiment No. 272).
Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)
Showing 3 of 16 records for Kantor in Germany.
Counts: Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0) · Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Deutsche Verlustlisten, Prussian list 1116, 18 April 1918 (scan via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0); Emigration file, Gündlingen, 1883, Landesarchiv Baden-Württemberg, Staatsarchiv Freiburg B 694/1 Nr. 1389 (CC BY 4.0).
Netherlands11 records
- Dutch population registers 9
- Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 2
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Example: marriage register, 1911 Marriage record Theodor KantorMarried in 1917 in Amsterdam; company official.
Open Archives, Noord-Hollands Archief (CC BY 4.0) -
Example: civil register, 1880 Death record Elisabeth KantorDied 1936 in Kerkrade, aged 84.
Open Archives, Gemeentearchief Kerkrade (CC BY 4.0) -
Example: U.S. census, 1910 Population register Anna KantorIn a population register; born 1910 in Budapest-Hongarije.
Open Archives, Stadsarchief Enschede (CC BY 4.0)
Showing 3 of 11 records for Kantor in the Netherlands.
Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).
Australia7 records
- Queensland State Archives indexes 3
- Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 3
- Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 1
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Example: passenger manifest, 1903 Passenger record Christine KantorArrived in Queensland in 1878 aboard the Friedeburg, aged 25.
Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) -
Example: passenger manifest, 1903 Passenger record Salomon KantorArrived in Victoria in 1891 aboard the Hohenzollern, aged 30.
Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) -
Example: probate petition, 1848 Probate record Estora KantorOf Carnegie, Victoria; died 1981.
Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
Showing 3 of 7 records for Kantor in Australia.
Counts: Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).
Canada3 records
- City of Calgary cemetery records 1
- Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 1
- City of Winnipeg cemetery records 1
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Example: civil register, 1880 Civil record Cenia KantorLost in the sinking of the Titanic, 1912, aged 36; a second-class passenger. Body recovered.
Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. -
Example: Canadian cemetery Burial record Norah Derrick KantorBuried in 1992 at Union Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 75.
City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. -
Example: Canadian cemetery Burial record Nora Louise KantorDied 1936; buried at Brookside Cemetery, Winnipeg, Manitoba.
City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg.
Counts: City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0).
Nearby in the index
Surnames next to Kantor.
- Kandel 1,426 · U.S. census
- Kane 50,584 · U.S. census
- Kang 32,221 · U.S. census
- Kangas 4,776 · U.S. census
- Kania 4,092 · U.S. census
- Kante 524 · U.S. census
- Kany 144 · U.S. census
- Kao 6,018 · U.S. census
- Kapała 406 · U.S. census
- Kapfer 407 · U.S. census
- Kaplan 29,582 · U.S. census
- Kapp 3,974 · U.S. census
When the index is not enough
This page says where Kantor is.
A volume says what happened to it.
Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.