Cante History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Germany
Spain
Scotland

The distinguished surname Cante emerged among the industrious people of Flanders, which was an important trading partner and political ally of Britain during the Middle Ages. As a result of the frequent commercial intercourse between the Flemish and English nations, many Flemish migrants settled in Britain. In early times, people were known by only a single name. However, as the population grew and people traveled further afield, it became increasingly necessary to assume an additional name to differentiate between bearers of the same personal name. Occupational surnames were derived from the common trades of the medieval era. The surname Cante is an occupational name for a precentor, the leader of the singing of hymns in a cathedral or monastery. The surname is derived from the Old Norman French word cant, which in turn comes from the Old French word chant, which means singing or song. 1

Early Origins of the Cante family

The surname Cante was first found in Fife where they held a family seat from very ancient times, of Flemish origin and arrived in Scotland about the year 1200 from Flanders.

One of the earliest records of the family was William Cant and Sithow Cant who were tenants under the Douglases in Telny in the barony of Aberdoure, Fife, 1376.

"A writer in the Scottish antiquary (IV) says that the name occurs in the Exchequer Rolls in the fifteenth century, and that the family, by trade dealers in cloth, supplied the king's household. They were evidently, he says, Flemings, and are mentioned in connection with Flanders. They obtained land at Masterton near Dunfermline, which their descendants of the name still possess. A family of the name early attained prominence in Edinburgh, where the name was common in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Adam Cant was bailie there, 1403, and James Cant was chosen dean of guild, 1413." 2

Early History of the Cante family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cante research. Another 180 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1230, 1426, 1430, 1433, 1461, 1473, 1485, 1493, 1590, 1651, 1663, 1675, 1685, 1700, 1724, 1728 and 1804 are included under the topic Early Cante History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cante Spelling Variations

Flemish surnames are characterized by a large number of spelling variations. One reason for this is that medieval English lacked definite spelling rules. The spellings of surnames were also influenced by the official court languages, which were French and Latin. Names were rarely spelled consistently in medieval times. Scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to specific spelling rules, and people often had their names registered in several different forms throughout their lives. One of the greatest reasons for change is the linguistic uniqueness of the Flemish settlers in England, who spoke a language closely related to Dutch. The pronunciation and spelling of Flemish names were often altered to suit the tastes of English-speaking people. In many cases, the first, final, or middle syllables of surnames were eliminated. The name has been spelled Cant, Kant, Cante and others.

Early Notables of the Cante family

Prominent in the family at this time was Andrew Cant (1590-1663), Scottish Presbyterian minister and leader of the Scottish Covenanters, Rector of King's College, Aberdeen, (1651...
Another 26 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Cante Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cante migration to the United States +

Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Cante were among those contributors:

Cante Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Johann David Cante, who landed in North America in 1852 3

Citations +

Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)