Canter (surname)

Canter is a surname. It is or has been borne in different countries by various unrelated families or families with no known connection to each other. These include English-American Canters whose earliest known possible ancestor is an 18th-century Thomas Canter of Maryland;^[1] Jewish-American Canters such as the Kentucky author Mark Canter and the Canter family that opened Canter's Deli in Los Angeles;^[2] a learned medieval and early modern Canter family of Groningen and Friesland, prominent in various branches of learning and in politics;^[3] Canters who are related to the Caunter family of Devon,^[4] etc.

In Britain, the early examples of the surname Canter are all from Latin cantor and refer to precentors in cathedrals or monasteries. The surname also occurs as a derivation from Anglo-Norman caunter/cauntour, 'singer, one who leads the singing'.^[5]

Notable people with the surname include:

• Brian Canter (1987), American professional bull rider
• Dan Canter (1961–2020), American soccer defender
• David Canter (born 1944), British psychologist
• Hilda Mabel Canter (1922–2007), English mycologist, protozoologist, and photographer
• Jake Canter (born 2003), American snowboarder
• Jessika Carter (born 1999), American basketball player
• Jean-Christophe Canter (born 1960), French politician
• Jon Canter, English sitcom and comedy writer
• Jonathan Canter (born 1965), American tennis player
• Laurence Canter (born 1953), American lawyer and Usenet spammer
• Laurie Canter (born 1989), English golfer
• Marc Canter, American IT professional and multimedia pioneer
• Mark Canter (born 1952), American journalist and writer
• Mathilda B. Canter (1924–2015), American psychologist
• Rosalind Canter (born 1986), British equestrian
• Willem Canter (1542–1575), Dutch classical scholar