Surname Kantorowicz - Meaning and Origin

Kantorowicz: What does the surname Kantorowicz mean?

The surname Kantorowicz is a Slavic patronymic name, derived from the personal name "Kantor". Kantor is derived from the Polish and Slavic word meaning "merchant", and probably originated as a nickname for a trader or merchant.

The usage of Kantorowicz as a surname first appears during the 16th century, when surnames began to become more common in Eastern and Central Europe. Descendants of the family are found throughout the world today.

Kantorowicz is a toponymic surname, derived from a place-name. In this case, it may derive from settled locations in Poland, including many small villages and towns, such as the Kantorowicz Palace in Kraków and the Kantorowicz Palace in Gdańsk.

The surname Kantorowicz is an important part of Eastern European and Polish history, with many distinguished individuals sporting the last name. Notable figures include Ignace Kantorowicz (1685-1760) who was a Polish poet and writer, and also wrote in French and Hebrew; and Dr. Ludwig Kantorowicz (1852-1917), a prominent German legal scholar.

Today, the Kantorowicz surname is an important part of many family histories, with those bearing the name descending from Polish, Russian, Ukrainian, and German ancestors. It continues to be shared throughout the world, lending a bit of Polish history and culture to the genealogical records of many families.

Kantorowicz: Where does the name Kantorowicz come from?

The Kantorowicz surname is most commonly found in Central and Eastern Europe, specifically Germany and Poland. The name is derived from the Polish term kantor or the German term Kontor for an official banker or representative. Therefore, the Kantorowicz family name typically refers to a person whose occupation was a banker or financial official.

Today, the surname is still prevalent in much of Central and Eastern Europe, particularly in Poland and Germany. In Poland, the Kantorowicz family name is one of the top 100 most common, with several thousands of individuals bearing the surname. It is prevalent throughout the country, with the most common regions being Poland's largest cities of Warsaw, Krakow, and Gdansk. In Germany, the Kantorowicz name is much rarer, but it still has its presence in the northeast of the country.

Outside of Europe, the Kantorowicz surname can also be found in several countries in Latin America, especially among descendants of Eastern European immigrants. It is also somewhat common in South Africa, due to an influx of Eastern European immigrants in the 1920s and 1930s. In the United States, the name is relatively rare, but it can still be found in several states, especially along the east coast, with pockets of Kantorowicz families in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and other states.

Variations of the surname Kantorowicz

The surname Kantorowicz has both distinct variants and spellings.

The original variant of the surname is “Kantorowicz” which is a Polish surname. However, it is has also come to be identified as an Italian surname, being spelled “Cantarazzi” or “Cantorazi” in some cases. The Polish and Italian variations can even be found within the same family, as the two spellings were traditionally used interchangeably until the 19th century.

The surname Kantorowicz is also commonly found as an Ashkenazi Jewish surname, but it is usually spelled “Kantrowitz” or “Kantorovitz.” This spelling was most likely adopted when Kantorowicz (the Polish version of the name) was changed to fit into the Yiddish culture of Jewish immigrants in the United States and other countries during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Finally, Kantorowicz is sometimes also found as “Kantorovitch” and “Cantorovicz,” which are related to the Polish spelling of the name, but are sometimes used as Sephardic Jewish Spellings.

Overall, Kantorowicz is a very versatile surname that has several distinct variants, spellings, and even surnames of the same origin. The table below lists some of the most common variants and spellings of the surname Kantorowicz:

Polish – Kantorowicz

Italian – Cantarazzi, Cantorazi

Ashkenazi Jewish – Kantrowitz, Kantorovitz

Sephardic Jewish – Kantorovitch, Cantorovicz

Famous people with the name Kantorowicz

• Ernst Hartwig Kantorowicz (1895–1963), German-American historian at the University of California, Berkeley.
• Robert John Kantorowicz (1941–2009), American musicologist and classicist.
• Zygfryd Kantorowicz (1925–1998), Polish professor of mathematics and mathematician.
• Richard Kantorowicz (1930–2016), German poet.
• Augustin Kantorowicz (1902–1994), German jurist and legal philosopher.
• Alfred Kantorowicz (1892–1958), German-Polish physician and neurologist.
• Erich Kantorowicz (1876–1931), German historian and economics professor.
• Max Kantorowicz (1882–1946), German engineer and inventor.
• Juliane Kantorowicz (1947–2015), German actress.
• Viktoria Kantorowicz (born 1983), Russian figure skater.

Other surnames

Kantorowitz