Canton History, Family Crest & Coats of ArmsEarly Origins of the Canton familyThe surname Canton was first found in the East Riding of Yorkshire at Ganton, a parish, in the union of Scarborough, wapentake of Dickering. "The church is a large and handsome structure of the 14th century, and has an embattled tower at the west end, surmounted by a commanding spire." 1 The first record of the name was John Galmeton who held estates in that shire in the North Riding at Ganton. 2 A canton is a type of administrative division of a country, a term that dates back centuries. The term is derived from the French word canton, meaning corner or district. 3 Phonetically, it is worth noting that Centwine or Kenten (d. 685), was King of the West Saxons, the son of Cynegils and the brother of Cenwalh. "Accepting the statement of Bæda (Eccl. Hist. iv. 12) that after Cenwalh's death the under-kings of the West Saxons divided the kingdom between them for about ten years, we must hold that Centwine had considerably less power than his brother had enjoyed. The 'Anglo-Saxon Chronicle,' however, says nothing of any such division. " 4 Early History of the Canton familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Canton research. Another 80 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1234, 1455 and 1487 are included under the topic Early Canton History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Canton Spelling VariationsSound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Canton family name include Gamton, Ganton, Canton, Candon, Gandon, Ganden, Canden and many more. Early Notables of the Canton familyMore information is included under the topic Early Canton Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Canton RankingIn the United States, the name Canton is the 13,095th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 5 However, in France, the name Canton is ranked the 2,472nd most popular surname with an estimated 2,500 - 3,000 people with that name. 6
For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, Canada, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Canton surname or a spelling variation of the name include: Canton Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
Canton Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
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