Surname Cant - Meaning and Origin
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Cant: What does the surname Cant mean?
The last name Cant is of Scottish origin and is predominantly found in the regions of Angus and Perthshire in Scotland. It is derived from the Gaelic word "ceann", which means "head" or "chief." Thus, the surname Cant could denote someone who is a leader or head of a group. Alternatively, it could also originate from the trade of a "cant," a term used in the Middle Ages to refer to someone who works with staves, which are a significant part of barrel making.
In certain regions, the name Cant could also have been an occupational name for a singer or storyteller, derived from the Gaelic term 'canntaireachd', referring to a traditional Scottish form of singing.
So, the Cant last name may denote a person's ancestral occupation or might indicate a characteristic of an ancestor, such as being a prominent leader.
As with all surnames, the meaning of Cant can differ based on the cultural and historical context of where and when the name originated.
Order DNA origin analysisCant: Where does the name Cant come from?
The surname Cant is of old Scottish and northern English origin. It derives from the Old Norse "kant", a word which originally described someone with a specific courteous and elegant demeanor. The name is believed to be topographic or occupational, referring to someone living by a canteen or a seller of beverages.
During the Middle Ages, it was often customary to refer to a person by their occupation, physical attributes, and/or the location they originally belonged to. The practice of adopting surnames began around the 10th Century and the surname 'Cant' was first recorded in the mid-12th Century.
It is worth noting that there are also places named Cant, suggesting that the surname could have been derived as a locational name for individuals who hailed from there.
Today, the surname Cant is most common in England but can also be found in Scotland, as well as other English-speaking countries such as the United States, Canada, and Australia due in part to historical emigration patterns. It's less common in non-English speaking countries. Due to the natural evolution of language and regional pronunciation, there are also numerous spelling variations of the name, including Cantt, Kand, Kant, and others.
Variations of the surname Cant
The surname Cant comes from the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It comes from when the family lived in the settlement of Kent. The surname Cant belongs to the large category of Anglo-Saxon habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads.
Variants of the Cant surname include Cannt, Cante, Canntt, Cantt, Canth, Kannt, Kant, Kante, Kaent, Kaentt, Kaent, Caent, Caente, Caenth, and many more. These different spellings have all been used at different points in history and in some cases, might have been used to designate people from different branches of the same family.
It's also possible that these variations came through regional dialects and languages. For instance, in places like Scotland, the name may have been spelled Kant. Anglicization and the influence of other languages might also have led to the development of these variations.
As it pertains to surnames of the same origin, surnames that derive from a specific place or location such as Kent are associated with the surname Cant. These could include the surnames, such as Kent, Kenton, Kentish, Kenting, and others.
Famous people with the name Cant
- Travis Cant: An Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1990s and 2000s.
- Alaric Cant: A viscount, British author, and the publishing house partner of Jonathan Cape.
- Barry Cant: An Australian news presenter and television broadcaster who was best known for his work at WIN Television.
- Gordon Cant: A prominent U.K. businessman and former president of the Plymouth Chamber of Industry and Commerce.
- Alan Cant: A Canadian politician who served as the mayor of Hamilton, Ontario from 1977 to 1980.