NameCensus.

UK surname

Carter

An occupational surname referring to a person who transports goods by cart or wagon.

In the 1881 census there were 50,099 people recorded with the Carter surname, ranking it #58 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 68,343, ranked #65, down from #58 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and Halifax. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include County Durham, King's Lynn and West Norfolk and Wakefield.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Carter is 71,658 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 36.4%.

1881 census count

50,099

Ranked #58

Modern count

68,343

2016, ranked #65

Peak year

1999

71,658 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Carter had 50,099 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #58 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 68,343 in 2016, ranked #65.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 68,410 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Carter surname distribution map

The map shows where the Carter surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Carter surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Carter over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 32,783 #58
1861 historical 34,407 #61
1881 historical 50,099 #58
1891 historical 54,391 #57
1901 historical 62,860 #56
1911 historical 68,410 #46
1997 modern 68,506 #62
1998 modern 71,146 #61
1999 modern 71,658 #61
2000 modern 70,833 #61
2001 modern 69,222 #61
2002 modern 70,427 #61
2003 modern 68,649 #62
2004 modern 68,600 #62
2005 modern 66,902 #62
2006 modern 66,899 #62
2007 modern 67,397 #63
2008 modern 67,515 #65
2009 modern 69,156 #65
2010 modern 70,426 #66
2011 modern 69,506 #66
2012 modern 68,066 #65
2013 modern 69,336 #65
2014 modern 69,617 #65
2015 modern 68,731 #65
2016 modern 68,343 #65

Geography

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Where Carters are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, Halifax and St Pancras. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to County Durham, King's Lynn and West Norfolk, Wakefield and Wyre. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 1
3 Halifax Yorkshire, West Riding
4 London parishes London 3
5 St Pancras London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 County Durham 048 County Durham
2 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 016 King's Lynn and West Norfolk
3 Wakefield 016 Wakefield
4 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 018 King's Lynn and West Norfolk
5 Wyre 009 Wyre

Forenames

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First names often paired with Carter

These lists show first names that appear often with the Carter surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Carter

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Carter, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Carter surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Carter household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Carter is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Carter is most concentrated in decile 8 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Carter falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Carter is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Carter, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Carter

The surname Carter originated in England during the Anglo-Saxon era. It derived from the Old English word "cræt," meaning cart or wagon. The name initially referred to someone who transported goods or materials by cart, either as an occupation or as a carrier for a nobleman's household.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Cartar" and "Carterius." This suggests that the name was already well-established in various parts of England by the late 11th century.

In the Middle Ages, the name was often spelled with variations such as "Cartere," "Cartare," and "Cartre." These variations reflect the regional dialects and scribal conventions of the time. The name was also associated with certain place names, such as Carterton in Oxfordshire and Cartmel in Cumbria.

One notable figure in history with the surname Carter was Thomas Carter (c. 1508-1582), an English Benedictine monk and Bishop of Rochester. He played a significant role in the religious upheavals of the 16th century, initially supporting the English Reformation but later becoming a Catholic recusant under Queen Elizabeth I.

Another prominent individual was John Carter (1598-1668), an English composer and lutenist during the Baroque period. He served as a musician at the court of Charles I and later became a prominent figure in the musical establishment of the Commonwealth.

In the literary world, Elizabeth Carter (1717-1806) was a prominent English poet, translator, and scholar. She was highly respected in her time for her translations of ancient Greek works and her contributions to the Bluestocking Circle, a influential group of intellectuals.

During the American Revolutionary War, Landon Carter (1710-1778) was a prominent Virginia planter and statesman. He served in the House of Burgesses and was known for his outspoken criticism of British policies leading up to the war.

In the realm of science, Howard Carter (1874-1939) was a renowned British archaeologist and Egyptologist. He is best known for discovering the intact tomb of Tutankhamun in 1922, one of the most significant archaeological finds of the 20th century.

These examples illustrate the widespread presence of the surname Carter throughout history, spanning various fields and regions. The name's origins as an occupational descriptor have evolved into a widely recognized family name with a rich heritage.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Carter families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Carter surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 6,348 Carters recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.29x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 6,348 1.29x
Yorkshire 5,245 1.08x
Lancashire 5,045 0.87x
Surrey 3,254 1.36x
Kent 2,086 1.25x
Essex 1,969 2.03x
Staffordshire 1,621 0.98x
Hampshire 1,597 1.59x
Durham 1,361 0.93x
Gloucestershire 1,303 1.35x
Warwickshire 1,277 1.03x
Sussex 1,259 1.52x
Norfolk 1,166 1.55x
Devon 1,132 1.11x
Somerset 1,030 1.30x
Cheshire 998 0.92x
Wiltshire 968 2.23x
Lincolnshire 967 1.23x
Berkshire 856 2.33x
Cambridgeshire 830 2.67x
Suffolk 808 1.35x
Hertfordshire 780 2.31x
Leicestershire 770 1.42x
Buckinghamshire 714 2.41x
Worcestershire 703 1.10x
Oxfordshire 635 2.10x
Nottinghamshire 546 0.83x
Northamptonshire 524 1.14x
Cornwall 495 0.89x
Bedfordshire 482 1.90x
Dorset 459 1.43x
Derbyshire 421 0.55x
Shropshire 337 0.80x
Glamorgan 296 0.35x
Monmouthshire 290 0.82x
Northumberland 244 0.33x
Huntingdonshire 212 2.18x
Cumberland 207 0.49x
Lanarkshire 142 0.09x
Channel Islands 126 0.87x
Kirkcudbrightshire 116 1.63x
Midlothian 97 0.15x
Herefordshire 92 0.46x
Royal Navy 66 1.13x
Westmorland 48 0.45x
Pembrokeshire 33 0.21x
Rutland 28 0.78x
Flintshire 27 0.20x
Montgomeryshire 27 0.24x
Brecknockshire 24 0.24x
Angus 21 0.05x
Renfrewshire 20 0.05x
Caernarfonshire 18 0.09x
Fife 18 0.06x
Aberdeenshire 13 0.03x
Berwickshire 11 0.19x
Carmarthenshire 11 0.05x
Caithness 9 0.13x
Radnorshire 9 0.23x
Dunbartonshire 8 0.06x
Wigtownshire 8 0.12x
Denbighshire 7 0.04x
Ayrshire 6 0.02x
Merionethshire 6 0.07x
Morayshire 6 0.08x
Anglesey 5 0.06x
Argyllshire 5 0.04x
Perthshire 5 0.02x
Selkirkshire 5 0.11x
Dumfriesshire 4 0.04x
Orkney 3 0.06x
Buteshire 1 0.03x
Cardiganshire 1 0.01x
East Lothian 1 0.02x
Isle of Man 1 0.01x
Ross-shire 1 0.01x
Stirlingshire 1 0.01x
Sutherland 1 0.03x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Islington London in Middlesex leads with 665 Carters recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.40x.

Place Total Index
Islington London 665 1.40x
Lambeth 605 1.41x
St Pancras London 484 1.23x
Camberwell 434 1.39x
Kensington London 418 1.53x
Hackney London 417 1.52x
Aston 397 1.17x
Birmingham 384 0.93x
West Ham 373 1.75x
Preston 360 2.31x
St Marylebone London 318 1.21x
Leeds 281 1.02x
Shoreditch London 280 1.32x
Portsea 274 1.39x
Manchester 272 1.04x
Bethnal Green London 261 1.23x
Blackburn 247 1.60x
Battersea 241 1.34x
Paddington London 236 1.31x
Newington 229 1.26x
Liverpool 225 0.64x
Bishopwearmouth 223 1.78x
Brighton 221 1.32x
Greenwich 218 2.79x
Leicester St Margaret 204 1.54x
Bromley London 193 1.79x
St George Hanover Square 192 2.22x
Croydon 188 1.42x
Clerkenwell London 182 1.57x
Everton 181 0.98x
Ashton Under Lyne 179 1.41x
Southwark St George Martyr 168 1.70x
Nottingham St Mary 167 0.98x
Halifax 165 2.31x
Mile End Old Town London 156 1.49x
Toxteth Park 154 0.78x
Chelsea London 151 1.02x
Bermondsey 150 1.03x
Deptford St Paul 148 1.15x
Horton In Bradford 148 1.95x
Fulham London 146 2.05x
West Bromwich 144 1.52x
Poplar London 143 1.55x
Wolverhampton 141 1.11x
Hammersmith London 140 1.16x
West Derby 137 0.80x
Great Yarmouth 134 2.15x
Lewisham 131 1.47x
Salford 130 0.76x
Chorlton On Medlock 115 1.24x
Kirkburton 111 19.38x
St Luke London 107 1.36x
Holy Trinity 106 0.91x
Huddersfield 106 1.50x
Paulton 106 29.33x
Westoe 106 1.28x
Oldham 105 0.56x
Pendleton In Salford 104 1.50x
Wandsworth 104 2.20x
Clapham 103 1.68x
Barrow In Furness 102 1.29x
Cheltenham 101 1.36x
Eastbourne 101 2.65x
Bishop Stortford 100 8.86x
Stoke Upon Trent 100 0.57x
Middlesbrough 98 1.55x
Rotherhithe 98 1.62x
Kirkdale 97 0.99x
Luton 97 2.21x
Tottenham 97 1.24x
Gateshead 96 0.88x
Darlington 95 1.69x
Bradford 91 0.77x
Hunslet 91 1.20x
Cookham 90 7.84x
Hulme 90 0.74x
Bedminster 89 1.20x
Darlaston 89 3.89x
St George In East London 89 1.93x
Woolwich 87 1.41x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Carter surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 3,269
Elizabeth 1,957
Sarah 1,789
Jane 968
Ann 930
Eliza 822
Emma 811
Alice 795
Ellen 791
Annie 685
Emily 647
Hannah 509
Martha 458
Margaret 424
Louisa 370
Caroline 330
Maria 329
Edith 320
Charlotte 305
Florence 302
Harriet 295
Fanny 280
Ada 273
Susan 258
Clara 239
Kate 225
Catherine 216
Lucy 207
Agnes 200
Anne 191
Frances 173
Rose 161
Harriett 155
Isabella 141
Amelia 138
Esther 119
Matilda 118
Amy 104
Minnie 103
Susannah 101
Rebecca 100
Elizth. 93
Julia 92
Lydia 92
Laura 88
Sophia 86
Grace 83
Jessie 79
Eleanor 78
Ethel 73

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Carter surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
William 3,169
John 2,853
George 1,785
James 1,644
Thomas 1,635
Henry 1,168
Charles 1,165
Joseph 829
Alfred 585
Robert 554
Edward 534
Frederick 484
Richard 453
Arthur 449
Samuel 410
Albert 390
Walter 357
Harry 306
Frank 236
Herbert 233
Edwin 204
Ernest 186
Francis 154
David 138
Benjamin 130
Wm. 130
Fred 99
Daniel 95
Isaac 94
Thos. 94
Tom 86
Stephen 83
Geo. 70
Peter 59
Chas. 56
Matthew 55
Fredk. 54
Sidney 52
Fredrick 51
Christopher 50
Willm. 50
Percy 47
Edmund 46
Earnest 38
Edgar 38
Jesse 38
Philip 36
Sydney 35
Willie 35
Jno. 34

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Carter households.

FAQ

Carter surname: questions and answers

How common was the Carter surname in 1881?

In 1881, 50,099 people were recorded with the Carter surname. That placed it at #58 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Carter surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 68,343 in 2016. That gives Carter a modern rank of #65.

What does the Carter surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to a person who transports goods by cart or wagon.

What does the Carter map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Carter bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.