Kantor
A name for a church singer or choirmaster, from the same root as Latin and German words for a cantor.
The #8,322 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 77,535 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Kantor is an occupational surname originally used for a church cantor, choir leader, or singer. It ultimately goes back to Latin cantare, meaning “to sing,” through medieval church Latin and German usage. In Yiddish and some Slavic-speaking Jewish communities, the same title also became a hereditary surname.
History
The surname appears in German-speaking areas as a status or office name for a cantor, especially in church settings. It was also adopted by Jewish families, where Kantor/Chantor often referred to a synagogue cantor. In English-language records the spelling sometimes overlaps with variants like Cantor and Chanter.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The title behind this surname is still used today in both church and synagogue music traditions.
From the historical record
“1) Pauli I. S. 11: ^In meiner Vaterstadt wurden die Kinder des Konrektors sowie die des Kantors nicht mit ihren Familiennamen Richter , Müller bezeichnet, sondern fast ausschließlich als Minna Konrektorn, Julius Kantor usw." 2) Diese Namen, die Pauli aus Hannover und Ostfriesland beibringt, beruhen auf der…”
— Die deutschen Familiennamen