Cantrell Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Cantrell last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Cantrell last name
Meaning of the Cantrell last name: little singer. Cantrell is a surname of Norman French origin, from a word for a little singer, perhaps for a church chorister or someone who liked to sing. It may also come from a small place in Devon. The spelling Cantrill is linked with Derbyshire. The last name crossed to Virginia and spread into Tennessee and Georgia. A curious detail of this surname origin: it shares its root with the English word "chant".
Arms associated with the Cantrell name
English heralds once toured the counties to check who used a coat of arms, and heraldry associated with the Cantrell surname belongs to that long tradition.
Get your full Cantrell family history
This is only a glimpse of the Cantrell story. The full Cantrell history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Cantrell coat of arms. Get the full Cantrell report.
Cantrell name FAQ
What does the Cantrell name mean?
Little singer. Common variants include Cantrill, Cantrall, Chantrell.
Where does the Cantrell surname come from?
It originates in England, and is also found in the United States, Australia and Canada.
Is there a Cantrell coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Cantrell coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford); Patrick Hanks and Flavia Hodges, A Dictionary of Surnames (Oxford University Press, 1988).