NameCensus.

UK surname

Coulter

A Scottish and Irish occupational surname referring to the maker or user of a coulter, a blade on a plow.

In the 1881 census there were 1,507 people recorded with the Coulter surname, ranking it #2,786 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,275, ranked #2,074, up from #2,786 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Govan Combination and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Fauldhouse, Doncaster and Newark and Sherwood.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Coulter is 3,314 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 117.3%.

1881 census count

1,507

Ranked #2,786

Modern count

3,275

2016, ranked #2,074

Peak year

2010

3,314 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Coulter had 1,507 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,786 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,275 in 2016, ranked #2,074.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,991 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Coulter surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Coulter surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Coulter 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 866 #3,144
1861 historical 815 #3,376
1881 historical 1,507 #2,786
1891 historical 1,609 #2,771
1901 historical 1,991 #2,669
1911 historical 1,276 #3,721
1997 modern 3,015 #2,137
1998 modern 3,110 #2,159
1999 modern 3,139 #2,158
2000 modern 3,147 #2,138
2001 modern 3,082 #2,132
2002 modern 3,193 #2,106
2003 modern 3,122 #2,102
2004 modern 3,097 #2,121
2005 modern 3,075 #2,100
2006 modern 3,083 #2,096
2007 modern 3,101 #2,109
2008 modern 3,138 #2,101
2009 modern 3,214 #2,107
2010 modern 3,314 #2,095
2011 modern 3,235 #2,113
2012 modern 3,228 #2,088
2013 modern 3,271 #2,101
2014 modern 3,304 #2,092
2015 modern 3,261 #2,095
2016 modern 3,275 #2,074

Geography

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Where Coulters are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Govan Combination, Gateshead and Edinburgh. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Fauldhouse, Doncaster, Newark and Sherwood, Glenwood South and Barlanark. 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 London parishes London 1
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Gateshead Durham
4 London parishes London 3
5 Edinburgh Edinburgh

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Fauldhouse West Lothian
2 Doncaster 009 Doncaster
3 Newark and Sherwood 011 Newark and Sherwood
4 Glenwood South Glasgow City
5 Barlanark Glasgow City

Forenames

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First names often paired with Coulter

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Coulter

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Coulter, 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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Coulter surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Coulter household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Coulter is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Coulter is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Coulter falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Coulter 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 Coulter, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Coulter

The surname Coulter originates from Scotland, with its earliest known records dating back to the 12th century. The name is derived from the old English word "culter," which means a plowshare or a coulter, an implement used to cut furrows in the soil before the seed is planted. This suggests that the name may have originated from ancestors who were farmers or worked in agriculture.

The name Coulter can be traced to various regions in Scotland, particularly in the areas of Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire, and Ayrshire. In the late 12th century, a Robert Cultor was mentioned in the records of the Abbey of Kelso, located in the Scottish Borders. This is one of the earliest known references to the name.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in several charters and records, such as the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which recorded those who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England during the Wars of Scottish Independence. One notable entry is that of Robert de Coulter, who held lands in Lanarkshire.

The Coulter surname has been associated with various place names in Scotland, such as Coulter in Lanarkshire, which was likely named after an early bearer of the name. Other variations of the spelling include Culter, Coltyr, and Colter.

One of the earliest recorded figures with the Coulter surname was Sir John Coulter, who lived in the 15th century and served as a Scottish diplomat and ambassador to England during the reign of King James II of Scotland (1437-1460).

Another notable bearer of the name was John Coulter (c. 1578-1660), a Scottish theologian and minister who served as the Principal of the University of Edinburgh from 1637 to 1640.

In the 17th century, John Coulter (1606-1671) was a Scottish merchant and burgess of Glasgow, who played a significant role in the city's trade and commerce during that period.

Thomas Coulter (1793-1843) was a Scottish-Irish botanist and explorer, best known for his extensive collections of plant specimens from Mexico and California.

John Mercer Coulter (1851-1928) was an American botanist and educator, who made significant contributions to the field of plant morphology and was a pioneering figure in the study of plant evolution.

These are just a few examples of notable individuals who bore the Coulter surname throughout history, reflecting the name's Scottish origins and its presence across various professions and fields.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Coulter families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Coulter 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. Lanarkshire leads with 316 Coulters recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.66x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 316 6.66x
Kent 198 3.96x
Ayrshire 138 12.57x
Lancashire 136 0.78x
Middlesex 109 0.74x
Yorkshire 85 0.58x
Northumberland 68 3.12x
Renfrewshire 51 4.49x
Surrey 48 0.67x
Durham 36 0.82x
Midlothian 35 1.78x
Dunbartonshire 28 7.10x
Fife 25 2.88x
Hertfordshire 19 1.88x
Cheshire 18 0.56x
Essex 16 0.55x
Perthshire 16 2.43x
Cumberland 15 1.19x
Derbyshire 15 0.65x
Dumfriesshire 14 4.32x
Berwickshire 12 6.75x
Staffordshire 12 0.24x
Gloucestershire 9 0.31x
Stirlingshire 9 1.66x
Suffolk 8 0.45x
Argyllshire 7 1.71x
Hampshire 7 0.23x
Lincolnshire 6 0.26x
Warwickshire 6 0.16x
Aberdeenshire 5 0.37x
Northamptonshire 4 0.29x
Sussex 4 0.16x
Wigtownshire 4 2.05x
Berkshire 3 0.27x
Kirkcudbrightshire 3 1.41x
Nottinghamshire 3 0.15x
Worcestershire 3 0.16x
Cambridgeshire 2 0.22x
Royal Navy 2 1.14x
Westmorland 2 0.62x
Buteshire 1 1.13x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.17x
Cornwall 1 0.06x
Denbighshire 1 0.18x
Devon 1 0.03x
Leicestershire 1 0.06x
Peeblesshire 1 1.45x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Barony in Lanarkshire leads with 100 Coulters recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.33x.

Place Total Index
Barony 100 8.33x
Govan 90 7.67x
Glasgow 41 4.87x
Maidstone 25 16.77x
Ballantrae 22 303.03x
Everton 19 3.42x
Maybole 19 56.84x
Faversham 18 37.71x
Kensington London 18 2.21x
Liverpool 18 1.70x
Tynemouth 18 15.40x
South Leith 17 7.69x
Old Monkland 16 8.50x
St Quivox 16 43.10x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 15 7.93x
Kirkmichael 15 149.85x
Old Kilpatrick 15 32.20x
Girvan 14 50.80x
Irvine 14 45.90x
Neilston 14 24.53x
Carmunnock 13 357.14x
Dunfermline 13 9.73x
Leeds 13 1.58x
Strood 13 45.52x
Wye 13 167.74x
Chatham 12 8.71x
Dysart 12 20.52x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 12 1.52x
Bethnal Green London 11 1.73x
Hammersmith London 11 3.04x
Horton In Bradford 11 4.85x
Kennington 11 295.70x
Camberwell 10 1.07x
East Kilbride 10 49.21x
Paddington London 10 1.85x
Port Glasgow 10 18.19x
Willesden 10 7.23x
Ashton On Mersey 9 53.76x
Batley 9 6.51x
Hoo 9 135.54x
Millom 9 23.25x
Ash Next Sandwich 8 72.27x
Barrow In Furness 8 3.38x
Bradford 8 2.27x
Brotherwick 8 8000.00x
Bury St Edmunds St James 8 16.76x
Carnwath 8 27.27x
Chertsey 8 17.32x
Chesterfield 8 9.29x
Dalrymple 8 116.28x
Eccles 8 102.83x
Gillingham 8 7.75x
Newton In Makerfield 8 15.01x
Perth East Church 8 12.89x
Slamannan 8 27.00x
Ware 8 27.60x
Wortley In Bramley 8 6.95x
Abbey 7 4.04x
Barking 7 8.26x
Bishop Auckland 7 11.95x
Bishopwearmouth 7 1.87x
Cheetham 7 5.39x
Chorlton On Medlock 7 2.53x
Cowpen 7 13.92x
Islington London 7 0.49x
Leeds 7 191.78x
Linton 7 159.45x
Little Lever 7 31.45x
Lochmaben 7 49.30x
Ludworth 7 64.70x
Middle Greenock 7 22.56x
Shettleston 7 16.48x
Streatham 7 6.43x
Ardwick 6 3.82x
Berkhampstead 6 26.40x
East Farleigh 6 71.43x
Liberton 6 19.78x
Portsea 6 1.02x
Toxteth Park 6 1.02x
Westminster St John 6 3.36x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 58
Elizabeth 38
Sarah 33
Jane 19
Margaret 17
Annie 15
Ann 14
Eliza 14
Ellen 13
Emily 11
Emma 11
Alice 9
Louisa 8
Rose 7
Anne 6
Isabella 6
Charlotte 5
Ethel 5
Frances 5
Harriett 5
Agnes 4
Amelia 4
Eleanor 4
Florence 4
Hannah 4
Harriet 4
Kate 4
Martha 4
Ada 3
Amy 3
Bridget 3
Caroline 3
Edith 3
Esther 3
Janet 3
Annette 2
Bertha 2
Bessie 2
Clara 2
Gertrude 2
Margt. 2
Maria 2
Matilda 2
Maud 2
Minnie 2
Polly 2
Susan 2
Blanche 1
Elizibeth 1
Theassser 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 53
John 46
James 39
George 24
Charles 22
Thomas 21
Robert 20
Henry 16
Joseph 13
Arthur 10
Frederick 10
Richard 9
Ralph 8
Alfred 7
Edwin 6
Albert 5
Ernest 5
Walter 5
Francis 4
Samuel 4
Andrew 3
Benjamin 3
Edward 3
Frank 3
Harry 3
Hugh 3
Michael 3
Abraham 2
Archibald 2
Austin 2
Frederic 2
Herbert 2
Thos. 2
Adam 1
Alexander 1
Bateson 1
Christopher 1
Crawford 1
Ed. 1
Edmund 1
Edwd. 1
Enock 1
Fred 1
Hannah 1
Hen. 1
Herb. 1
Horston 1
Jacob 1
Jane 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Coulter surname: questions and answers

How common was the Coulter surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,507 people were recorded with the Coulter surname. That placed it at #2,786 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Coulter surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,275 in 2016. That gives Coulter a modern rank of #2,074.

What does the Coulter surname mean?

A Scottish and Irish occupational surname referring to the maker or user of a coulter, a blade on a plow.

What does the Coulter map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Coulter 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.