An English and French surname, Cantrell comes from the Old French term ‘chanterelle’ which meant a small bell. The Old English term ‘cant’ refers to a song or singer. So Cantrell related to a bell ringer and / or a person who liked to sing. The spelling variations for Cantrell include Cantril, Chantrell and Cantrel. In England the higher concentration of Cantrell families live in Yorkshire, Lancashire, Cheshire, as well in London and nearby counties to the city. The few select residences for Cantrell families in Scotland include in Angus, Midlothian and Lanarkshire. Cantrell families within the United States first lived in South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, Kentucky, Illinois and Indiana. Famous: Peter Edward Cantrell (champion cricket player of Australia), Rob Cantrell (comic), Laura Cantrell (singer), Cady Cantrell (model), Lana Cantrell (actress from Australia), Jerry Cantrell (musician - guitar, songwriter and singer) and Blu Cantrell (singer).