The origin and meaning of the surname "Canty"
I don't know the etymology or the meaning of this surname. Many Caucasians as well as African Americans possess this name throughout the United States, especially in the Carolinas and in New York state. If this helps, I was told by one person that the name is Irish in origin; and by another that the name Canty is Dutch in origin. Thanks.
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I believe that it is an Irish surname.originating from Cork. I also have Irish decendants.
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FYI, thanks for the info. I am researching my ancestry, and I do know for a fact that African Americans share this name too; my Canty family is from South Carolina. I also found out that some Caucasians distinguished the spelling of their Canty surname by spelling it as Cantey, while African Americans commonly spell their surname as CANTY.
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It's certainly Irish though it may have other origins too. In Irish it's O an Chaintighe, which means something like "descendant of the satirist". It's an unusual construction, the only name I know which begins with O followed by the definite article. Usually it's Mac an..., "son of the..."
Where's Sean F. these days? He usually takes care of Irish names.
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