NameCensus.

UK surname

Harter

An occupational surname referring to a person who makes harts, a type of medieval strongbox or chest.

In the 1881 census there were 165 people recorded with the Harter surname, ranking it #14,559 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 198, ranked #19,713, down from #14,559 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Stockport, Wigan and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Rossendale, Warrington and Wigan.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Harter is 416 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 20.0%.

1881 census count

165

Ranked #14,559

Modern count

198

2016, ranked #19,713

Peak year

1861

416 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Harter had 165 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,559 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 198 in 2016, ranked #19,713.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 416 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Harter surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Harter surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Harter 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 129 #14,406
1861 historical 416 #6,176
1881 historical 165 #14,559
1891 historical 366 #9,508
1901 historical 223 #14,134
1911 historical 252 #12,834
1997 modern 191 #18,150
1998 modern 205 #17,850
1999 modern 224 #16,984
2000 modern 212 #17,554
2001 modern 199 #17,996
2002 modern 202 #18,189
2003 modern 194 #18,463
2004 modern 191 #18,723
2005 modern 184 #19,117
2006 modern 180 #19,526
2007 modern 182 #19,618
2008 modern 188 #19,387
2009 modern 187 #19,868
2010 modern 201 #19,387
2011 modern 199 #19,346
2012 modern 200 #19,207
2013 modern 203 #19,327
2014 modern 207 #19,259
2015 modern 201 #19,494
2016 modern 198 #19,713

Geography

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Where Harters are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Stockport, Wigan, Manchester, Dean and Wakefield. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Rossendale, Warrington, Wigan and Burnley. 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 Stockport Cheshire
2 Wigan Lancashire
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Dean Lancashire
5 Wakefield Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Rossendale 001 Rossendale
2 Warrington 021 Warrington
3 Wigan 008 Wigan
4 Rossendale 010 Rossendale
5 Burnley 014 Burnley

Forenames

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First names often paired with Harter

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Harter

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

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Harter is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

These primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Harter is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Harter falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Harter is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Harter

The surname HARTER has its origins in England, with records dating back to the 13th century. The name is believed to be derived from the Old English word "hort," which means "a hart" or male deer. This suggests that the name may have been originally an occupational surname for someone who worked as a deer hunter or keeper in a deer park.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the HARTER surname is found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1275, where it appears as "Harter." This early spelling variation is consistent with the name's derivation from the Old English word "hort."

In the 14th century, the HARTER name appeared in several historical records, including the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 and the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire from 1348. These records suggest that the HARTER family was well-established in various parts of England during this period.

The HARTER surname is also found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land ownership and taxation in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. This early reference further solidifies the name's deep roots in English history.

Noteworthy individuals with the HARTER surname include John Harter (1470-1532), who was a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of Bristol, England. Another notable figure was Sir Richard Harter (1592-1670), a wealthy landowner and Member of Parliament for Shropshire in the 17th century.

In the 18th century, the HARTER name gained further prominence with the birth of John Harter (1725-1804), a successful businessman and philanthropist who established the Harter Trust, which still operates today, providing educational and charitable support in various parts of England.

Moving into the 19th century, the HARTER surname continued to be associated with notable figures, such as George Harter (1812-1892), a respected inventor and engineer who patented several innovative designs for agricultural machinery.

One of the most famous individuals with the HARTER surname was the English author and playwright, Walter Harter (1865-1944), whose works were widely acclaimed and enjoyed considerable popularity during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Harter families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Harter 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. Lancashire leads with 95 Harters recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.04x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 95 5.04x
Cheshire 18 5.13x
Middlesex 10 0.63x
Yorkshire 10 0.63x
Kent 8 1.47x
Devon 5 1.51x
Essex 4 1.27x
Warwickshire 3 0.75x
Worcestershire 3 1.45x
Cardiganshire 1 2.58x
Derbyshire 1 0.40x
Gloucestershire 1 0.32x
Hampshire 1 0.31x
Rutland 1 8.57x
Surrey 1 0.13x
Sussex 1 0.37x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Salford in Lancashire leads with 18 Harters recorded in 1881 and an index of 32.44x.

Place Total Index
Salford 18 32.44x
Horwich 12 582.52x
Horbury 9 326.09x
Blackburn 8 15.94x
Cheadle 8 119.40x
Aspull 7 157.66x
Mobberley 7 875.00x
Pendleton In Salford 7 31.14x
Rumworth 7 259.26x
Prescot 6 175.95x
Sturry 6 937.50x
Halliwell 5 72.78x
Moss Side 5 50.35x
Plymouth St Andrew 5 19.62x
Darcy Lever 4 366.97x
Little Bolton 4 16.49x
West Ham 4 5.77x
Chorley 3 28.33x
Milverton 3 254.24x
Redditch 3 71.26x
St George Hanover Square 3 10.71x
Stockport 3 16.61x
Broughton In Salford 2 11.59x
Great Bolton 2 8.00x
Ince In Makerfield 2 22.78x
Isleworth 2 28.29x
St George In East London 2 13.38x
Woolwich 2 9.98x
Bilton Cum Harrogate 1 18.55x
Blackrod 1 42.74x
Camberwell 1 0.98x
Kirk Langley 1 270.27x
Leyland 1 30.49x
Llancynfelin 1 200.00x
Manchester 1 1.18x
Oakham Deanshold 1 192.31x
Portsmouth 1 13.33x
St Andrew Holborn London 1 14.53x
St Marylebone London 1 1.18x
Tillington 1 208.33x
Westminster St James 1 6.12x
Winchcomb 1 64.52x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 13
Elizabeth 7
Eliza 5
Margaret 5
Ann 4
Jane 4
Alice 3
Amelia 3
Frances 3
Hannah 3
Sarah 3
Annie 2
Clara 2
Emma 2
Gertrude 2
Grace 2
Anne 1
Catharine 1
Catherene 1
Charlotte 1
Dinah 1
Edith 1
Elizaber 1
Emily 1
Fanny 1
Francess 1
Helen 1
Jemima 1
Lily 1
Lucy 1
Margery 1
Martha 1
Mildred 1
Muriel 1
Nancy 1
Permelia 1
Rachel 1
Violet 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
James 15
William 9
John 7
Richard 4
Thomas 4
Alfred 3
Isaac 3
Joseph 3
Robert 3
Edward 2
George 2
Albert 1
Arthur 1
Clement 1
David 1
Ezekel 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Frederic 1
Frederick 1
G.L.Foster 1
Godfry 1
Harry 1
Jeremiah 1
Jno. 1
Jno.R. 1
Lawrence 1
Mark 1
Oswald 1
Patient 1
Reuben 1
Thos. 1
Wainwright 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Harter surname: questions and answers

How common was the Harter surname in 1881?

In 1881, 165 people were recorded with the Harter surname. That placed it at #14,559 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Harter surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 198 in 2016. That gives Harter a modern rank of #19,713.

What does the Harter surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to a person who makes harts, a type of medieval strongbox or chest.

What does the Harter map show?

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