Cantor is an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

surname. One possible derivation is from the

Middle English Middle English (abbreviated to ME) is a form of the English language that was spoken after the Norman conquest of 1066, until the late 15th century. The English language underwent distinct variations and developments following the Old English p ...

word ''gaunter'', 'glover'. Alternatively, it may derive from ''cantere'', 'one who sings', possibly related to the Latin base of ''cant'' or both sharing a Proto-Indo-European root with ''*kan-'', both meaning 'song' or 'to sing'. It may also refer to the

Anglo-Norman Anglo-Norman may refer to: *Anglo-Normans, the medieval ruling class in England following the Norman conquest of 1066 *Anglo-Norman language **Anglo-Norman literature *Anglo-Norman England, or Norman England, the period in English history from 1066 ...

''chantour'' or the

Old French Old French (, , ; Modern French: ) was the language spoken in most of the northern half of France from approximately the 8th to the 14th centuries. Rather than a unified language, Old French was a linkage of Romance dialects, mutually intelligib ...

''chantroir'' meaning 'enchanter' or 'magician' or ''cantor'' meaning 'leader of a choir', possibly also from the Latin '' precentor''. Notable people with the surname include: *

Andrés Cantor Andrés Cantor (born December 22, 1962) is an Argentine-American sportscaster and pundit who works in the United States providing Spanish-language commentary and analysis in sports. Cantor is well known among both Spanish- and English speakers f ...

(born 1962), Spanish-language soccer announcer *

Arthur Cantor Arthur Cantor (March 12, 1920 – April 8, 2001) was an accomplished American theatrical producer who contributed to the presentation of over 100 productions that were displayed on stages across the globe, including Broadway, Off-Broadway, London a ...

(1920–2001), American theatrical producer * Aviva Cantor (born 1940), American journalist, lecturer and author *

B. Gerald Cantor Bernard Gerald Cantor (December 17, 1916 – July 3, 1996) was the founder and chairman of securities firm Cantor Fitzgerald. Career Cantor's parents were Rose (née Delson) and Julius Cantor, Jewish immigrants from Belarus. Born in the Bronx ...

(1916–1996), American businessman ** Cantor Fitzgerald, financial services firm founded by him *

Brett Cantor Brett Ross Cantor (November 5, 1967 – July 30, 1993) was an American record label executive, concert promoter and nightclub owner. He was born in New York to Rhonda and Paul Cantor, who managed acts such as B. J. Thomas and Dionne Warwick. In th ...

(1967–1993), American record executive and nightclub owner * Brian Cantor (born 1948), Vice-Chancellor of the University of York, UK *

Charles Cantor Charles R. Cantor (born 26 August 1942) is an American molecular geneticist who, in conjunction with David Schwartz, developed pulse field gel electrophoresis for very large DNA molecules. Cantor's three-volume book, ''Biophysical Chemistry'' ...

(born 1942), American molecular geneticist *

David Cantor David Cantor (born 1954) is an American actor and singer from New York City best known for his stage work in musical theatre, including appearances on Broadway in the musical ''Evita'' and in both comic and dramatic roles in a number of national ...

(born 1954), American actor and singer *

Eddie Cantor Eddie Cantor (born Isidore Itzkowitz; January 31, 1892 – October 10, 1964) was an American comedian, actor, dancer, singer, songwriter, film producer, screenwriter and author. Familiar to Broadway, radio, movie, and early television audiences, ...

(1892–1964), American comedian, singer, actor, songwriter * Eric Cantor (born 1963), American politician *

Geoffrey Cantor Geoffrey N. Cantor (born 1943) is Emeritus Professor of the History and Philosophy of Science at the University of Leeds and Honorary Senior Research Associate at UCL Department of Science and Technology Studies at University College London. He h ...

(born 1943), professor of history and philosophy of science at the University of Leeds *

Georg Cantor Georg Ferdinand Ludwig Philipp Cantor ( , ; – January 6, 1918) was a German mathematician. He played a pivotal role in the creation of set theory, which has become a fundamental theory in mathematics. Cantor established the importance of ...

(1845–1918), German mathematician, founder of set theory *

Jacob A. Cantor Jacob Aaron Cantor (December 6, 1854 – July 2, 1921) was an American lawyer and politician from New York (state), New York who served as a United States representative from 1913 to 1915. Early life and education Cantor was born at 19 Secon ...

(1854–1921), New York politician * James Cantor (born 1966), American-Canadian clinical psychologist specializing in sexology * Jay Cantor (born 1948), American novelist and essayist *

Leo Cantor Leo "the Lion" Cantor (February 28, 1919 – June 4, 1995) was a Jewish American football player. He was the 1937 Los Angeles All-City quarterback recipient, played college football for the USC Trojans and the UCLA Bruins, and played in the Natio ...

(1919–1995), American NFL football player *

Liz Cantor Liz Cantor (born 11 October 1982) is an Australian television presenter. She was the winner of the reality television game show ''The Mole'' in 2005. Education Cantor attended high school at St Peters Lutheran College at Indooroopilly, west ...

(born 1982), Australian television presenter *

Max Cantor Michael "Max" Cantor (May 15, 1959 – October 3, 1991) was an American journalist and actor in films such as ''Dirty Dancing'' (1987) and ''Fear, Anxiety & Depression'' (1989). Biography Cantor's father was the theatrical producer Arthur Can ...

(1959–1991), American journalist and actor * Mircea Cantor (born 1977), Romanian visual artist * Moritz Cantor (1829–1920), German historian of mathematics * Nancy Cantor (born 1952), Chancellor and President of Syracuse University * Noah Cantor (born 1971), Canadian football player *

Norman Cantor Norman Frank Cantor (November 19, 1929 – September 18, 2004) was a Canadian-American historian who specialized in the Middle Ages, medieval period. Known for his accessible writing and engaging narrative style, Cantor's books were among the mo ...

(1929–2004), Canadian medievalist *

Peter Cantor Peter Cantor (died 1197), also known as Peter the Chanter or by his Latin name Petrus Cantor, was a French Roman Catholic theologian.Paul Cantor Paul A. Cantor (October 25, 1945 – February 25, 2022) was an American literary and media critic. He taught for many years at the University of Virginia, where he was the Clifton Waller Barrett Professor of English. Cantor wrote on a wide ...

(1945–2022), American literary critic * Paul Cantor (Canadian lawyer) (1942-2018), Canadian lawyer *

Rob Cantor Robert Howard Cantor is an American singer-songwriter and creator of multiple viral videos. He is mostly known as a vocalist, guitarist, and co-writer for the "fabloo" indie rock band Tally Hall. In addition, Cantor is also known for his solo w ...

(born 1983), American singer-songwriter *

Steven Cantor Steven Cantor is an American film/television director and film/television producer. Eight of his films have been nominated for Primetime Emmy Awards, with two winning, including the 2022 Outstanding Documentary prize for When Claude Got Shot. W ...

, American film/television director * Theodore Edward Cantor (1809–1860), Danish biologist *

Tim Cantor Tim Cantor (born August 10, 1969) is an American self-taught surrealist artist and writer. Tim was raised in Marin County, California and began painting at the age of 5 using a box of oil paints and brushes that were his great-grandfather's. Tim ...

(born 1969), American surrealism artist and writer * Wulfstan the Cantor (c.960 – early 11th century), Anglo-Saxon monk

See also