Unisex · #12,141 in 2026

Cantrell

Cantrell is a surname of English and French origin. Notable people with the surname include:Cantrell (rapper), American hip-hop artist Ava Cantrell, American actress Arthur Cantrell (1883–1954), English cricketer and Royal Marines officer Betty Cantrell (disambiguation), several people Blu Cantrell, R&B singer Cady Cantrell, model Cantrell Charles P.

Current Rank
#12,141
Peak Rank
#2,568 (1979)
Total Babies
422
5-Yr Trend
Stable
👧 Girl peak #6,485 (65 total)
👦 Boy peak #2,568 (422 total)
👦As Boy Name
1918
First Year
2021
Last Year
1979
Peak Year
#2568
Peak Rank
422
Total Count
47
Years Active
👧As Girl Name
1969
First Year
1989
Last Year
1975
Peak Year
#6485
Peak Rank
65
Total Count
11
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Cantrell

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Cantrell is a surname of English and French origin. Notable people with the surname include:Cantrell (rapper), American hip-hop artist Ava Cantrell, American actress Arthur Cantrell (1883–1954), English cricketer and Royal Marines officer Betty Cantrell (disambiguation), several people Blu Cantrell, R&B singer Cady Cantrell, model Cantrell Charles P.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

The Story of Cantrell

As a girl name

The earliest SSA record of Cantrell as a girl name dates back to 1969, when 7 babies received it. 1975 was its biggest year on record, with 8 newborns named Cantrell — #6,485 in the national rankings. About 49% of every Cantrell on record arrived during the 1970s, its defining decade. Cantrell last appeared in the published SSA data in 1989, with 5 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 65 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1960s to the 2020s.

As a boy name

American parents first put Cantrell on the record books as a boy name in 1918, with 7 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 1979, when 18 Cantrells were born — ranking #2,568 that year. About 26% of every Cantrell on record arrived during the 1990s, its defining decade. Cantrell last appeared in the published SSA data in 2021, with 5 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 422 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1910s to the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Girls Boys

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Names that sound like Cantrell

Phonetically similar names — useful when Cantrell is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

  • Cantoral
  • Cantrall
  • Contrail
  • Kontrolle
  • Control
  • Controle
  • Cantwell
  • Cantel
  • Cantering
  • Cantle
  • Cantal
  • Cottrell

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Cantrell

What does the name Cantrell mean?
Cantrell is a surname of English and French origin. Notable people with the surname include:Cantrell (rapper), American hip-hop artist Ava Cantrell, American actress Arthur Cantrell (1883–1954), English cricketer and Royal Marines officer Betty Cantrell (disambiguation), several people Blu Cantrell, R&B singer Cady Cantrell, model Cantrell Charles P.
How popular is Cantrell in 2026?
In 2026, Cantrell ranks #12,141 among boys' names in the U.S., with 5 babies given the name that year.
When was Cantrell most popular?
Cantrell reached its peak popularity in 1979, ranking #2,568 that year with 18 babies given the name.
Is Cantrell a unisex name?
Yes — Cantrell is used for both girls and boys in U.S. records, with about 13% of Cantrells assigned female and 87% assigned male historically.
What names go well with Cantrell?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Cantrell include Marico, Hanif, Atif. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Cantrell

Cantrell is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1918 and has accumulated 422 births in the dataset. Cantrell's peak popularity came in 1979 when it ranked #2,568. Use the chart and map above to compare Cantrell's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

  • Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
  • Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
  • Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
  • Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
  • Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.