UK surname
An occupational surname for someone who made or sold knives, from the Old English word "culter" meaning knife.
In the 1881 census there were 110 people recorded with the Colter surname, ranking it #18,695 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 38, ranked #35,537, down from #18,695 in 1881.
The strongest historical links point to Haddington, London parishes and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Colter is 157 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 65.5%.
1881 census count
110
Ranked #18,695
Modern count
38
2016, ranked #35,537
Peak year
1861
157 bearers
Map years
2
1861 to 1881
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Colter surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Colter surname density by area, 1881 census.
Timeline
Back to topThe 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 | 88 | #18,569 |
| 1861 | historical | 157 | #14,732 |
| 1881 | historical | 110 | #18,695 |
| 1891 | historical | 91 | #25,239 |
| 1901 | historical | 96 | #23,342 |
| 1911 | historical | 82 | #24,635 |
| 1997 | modern | 47 | #32,975 |
| 1998 | modern | 39 | #33,967 |
| 1999 | modern | 41 | #33,866 |
| 2000 | modern | 41 | #33,889 |
| 2001 | modern | 37 | #34,082 |
| 2002 | modern | 33 | #34,717 |
| 2003 | modern | 35 | #34,609 |
| 2004 | modern | 35 | #34,783 |
| 2005 | modern | 34 | #35,056 |
| 2006 | modern | 34 | #35,255 |
| 2007 | modern | 39 | #35,097 |
| 2008 | modern | 36 | #35,397 |
| 2009 | modern | 39 | #35,321 |
| 2010 | modern | 40 | #35,403 |
| 2011 | modern | 37 | #35,553 |
| 2012 | modern | 39 | #35,415 |
| 2013 | modern | 40 | #35,439 |
| 2014 | modern | 42 | #35,350 |
| 2015 | modern | 39 | #35,472 |
| 2016 | modern | 38 | #35,537 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around Haddington, London parishes, Gateshead, Toxteth Park and Edinburgh. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.
The modern local-area list points to No data. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.
| Rank | Parish | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Haddington | Haddington |
| 2 | London parishes | London 3 |
| 3 | Gateshead | Durham |
| 4 | Toxteth Park | Lancashire |
| 5 | Edinburgh | Edinburgh |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Colter surname in historical and recent records.
Recent female names
Recent male names
Modern profile
Back to topModern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Colter, 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
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Nationally, the Colter surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Colter household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.
London neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Within London, Colter is most associated with areas classed as No data, part of No data. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.
Broadband speed
The modern neighbourhood pattern for Colter is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Colter, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname Colter originates from the Old English words 'col' meaning charcoal or coal, and 'teru' meaning a resinous wood used for kindling. It was an occupational name for a maker or seller of charcoal, particularly in the counties of Lancashire and Yorkshire in northern England where the name first emerged in the 12th century.
The earliest recorded spelling of the name appears in the Assize Court Rolls of Lancashire in 1246 as 'Coltur'. Other early spellings include 'Colter' in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Records of 1379, and 'Coltere' in the Wills Records at Chester in 1591.
The name is also found in some of the earliest English census records, such as the Hearth Tax Rolls of 1674 which list a John Colter in Rochdale, Lancashire. In Scotland, the name is first recorded in the Parish Records of Dumfries in 1684 when a William Colter is mentioned.
Notable historical figures with the surname Colter include John Colter (c.1775-1813), an American explorer and member of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. He was one of the first white men to see the region of present-day Yellowstone National Park.
Another significant bearer of the name was Sir Mark Colter (1862-1935), a British businessman and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1921-1922. He was knighted for his philanthropic work and contributions to the city.
Other early examples include William Colter (1580-1662), an English clergyman and author of several religious works in the 17th century, and Thomas Colter (1725-1795), a Scottish inventor and engineer credited with developing an early steam engine design.
In the United States, the name is also associated with John Colter Jr. (1803-1890), a fur trapper and mountain man who explored the Rocky Mountains and the American West in the early 19th century.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
1881 census detail
Back to topThese tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Colter surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.
Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Lancashire leads with 18 Colters recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.44x.
| County | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Lancashire | 18 | 1.44x |
| Durham | 16 | 5.11x |
| Middlesex | 14 | 1.33x |
| Midlothian | 9 | 6.38x |
| Surrey | 7 | 1.36x |
| Kent | 6 | 1.67x |
| Devon | 4 | 1.82x |
| Essex | 4 | 1.92x |
| Lincolnshire | 4 | 2.37x |
| Northumberland | 4 | 2.55x |
| Wigtownshire | 4 | 28.59x |
| Angus | 3 | 3.07x |
| Ayrshire | 2 | 2.54x |
| Nottinghamshire | 2 | 1.41x |
| Royal Navy | 2 | 15.94x |
| Staffordshire | 2 | 0.56x |
| East Lothian | 1 | 7.17x |
| Lanarkshire | 1 | 0.29x |
| Norfolk | 1 | 0.62x |
| Renfrewshire | 1 | 1.22x |
| Sussex | 1 | 0.56x |
| Warwickshire | 1 | 0.38x |
| Yorkshire | 1 | 0.10x |
Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Gateshead in Durham leads with 9 Colters recorded in 1881 and an index of 38.36x.
These are the female first names most often recorded with the Colter surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
These are the male first names most often recorded with the Colter surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
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 Colter households.
| Occupation | Count |
|---|---|
| Scholar | 16 |
| Annuitant | 2 |
| Tailor | 2 |
| A B Seaman | 1 |
| Attendant Sms 3/3 | 1 |
| Barman | 1 |
| Blacksmith (Village) | 1 |
| Blacksmiths Wife | 1 |
| Book Keeper Accountant | 1 |
| C Of Hold | 1 |
| Cabinet Maker | 1 |
| Clerk (Railway) | 1 |
| Cooper | 1 |
| Cotton Weaver | 1 |
| Craneman In Lead Works | 1 |
| Division Offr Inland Rev | 1 |
| Errand Boy | 1 |
| Gen Lab | 1 |
| General Labourer | 1 |
| General Serv | 1 |
| Genl Labr | 1 |
| Glass Maker | 1 |
| Groom (Dom) | 1 |
| Guard N E R | 1 |
| Gunner | 1 |
| House Carpenter | 1 |
| House Painter | 1 |
| Housekeeper | 1 |
| Laundress | 1 |
| Licensed Victualler | 1 |
| Lodginghouse Keeper | 1 |
| Match Box Maker | 1 |
| Ordy Seaman | 1 |
| Painters Laborer | 1 |
| Puddler (Iron) | 1 |
| Seamstress | 1 |
| Servant (Dom) | 1 |
| Shop Boy | 1 |
| Shop Girl | 1 |
| Stoker In Leadworks | 1 |
| Straw Dealer | 1 |
FAQ
In 1881, 110 people were recorded with the Colter surname. That placed it at #18,695 in the surname rankings for that year.
The latest modern count shown here is 38 in 2016. That gives Colter a modern rank of #35,537.
An occupational surname for someone who made or sold knives, from the Old English word "culter" meaning knife.
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Colter bearers relative to the surrounding population.
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.