UK surname
An occupational surname related to a horticulturist or gardener.
In the 1881 census there were 24 people recorded with the Horter surname, ranking it #30,215 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 5, ranked #38,264, down from #30,215 in 1881.
The strongest historical links point to St George in the East, Darlaston and Paddington. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Horter is 263 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 79.2%.
1881 census count
24
Ranked #30,215
Modern count
5
2016, ranked #38,264
Peak year
1861
263 bearers
Map years
2
1861 to 1891
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Horter surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Horter surname density by area, 1891 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 | 17 | #30,267 |
| 1861 | historical | 263 | #9,423 |
| 1881 | historical | 24 | #30,215 |
| 1891 | historical | 109 | #22,701 |
| 1901 | historical | 31 | #30,616 |
| 1911 | historical | 14 | #32,045 |
| 1997 | modern | 4 | #38,094 |
| 1998 | modern | 4 | #38,082 |
| 1999 | modern | 5 | #37,872 |
| 2000 | modern | 8 | #37,264 |
| 2001 | modern | 5 | #37,652 |
| 2002 | modern | 4 | #37,921 |
| 2003 | modern | 3 | #38,198 |
| 2004 | modern | 4 | #38,013 |
| 2005 | modern | 6 | #37,724 |
| 2006 | modern | 6 | #37,788 |
| 2007 | modern | 6 | #37,837 |
| 2008 | modern | 7 | #37,735 |
| 2009 | modern | 7 | #37,816 |
| 2010 | modern | 7 | #37,904 |
| 2011 | modern | 6 | #38,016 |
| 2012 | modern | 5 | #38,167 |
| 2013 | modern | 4 | #38,359 |
| 2014 | modern | 5 | #38,228 |
| 2015 | modern | 5 | #38,221 |
| 2016 | modern | 5 | #38,264 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around St George in the East, Darlaston, Paddington, Manchester and Midsomer Norton, Paulton, Chilcompton. 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 | St George in the East | London (East Districts) |
| 2 | Darlaston | Staffordshire |
| 3 | Paddington | London (West Districts) |
| 4 | Manchester | Lancashire |
| 5 | Midsomer Norton, Paulton, Chilcompton | Somerset |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Horter 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 Horter, 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 Horter surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Horter 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, Horter 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 Horter is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Horter, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname Horter is believed to have originated in Germany, possibly dating back to the 16th century. It is thought to be derived from the German word "hort," meaning a treasure or hoard, and may have been an occupational name for someone who guarded or tended to a treasure.
Variations of the spelling include Hörter, Horter, and Hörther. The earliest known record of the name appears in a German church registry from the town of Riedstadt in the state of Hesse, dated 1587, where a certain Johannes Horter is mentioned.
In the late 17th century, a family bearing the name Horter is documented as living in the village of Nieder-Weisel, near the town of Butzbach in Hesse. This village was once part of a larger estate owned by the noble von Büches family, lending credence to the theory that the Horter name may have originally referred to a guardian of valuables or treasures.
One notable individual with the surname Horter was Johann Gottfried Horter, a German theologian and philosopher who lived from 1696 to 1759. He served as a pastor and professor at the University of Gießen and authored several works on theology and philosophy.
Another notable figure was Karl Horter, a German artist and illustrator born in 1858 in Darmstadt, Hesse. He is known for his illustrations in various publications, including children's books and magazines.
In the United States, one of the earliest recorded instances of the Horter name is found in the records of the German Reformed Church in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, where a Michael Horter is listed as having married Maria Magdalena Schäffer in 1772.
A more recent individual of note was William Horter, an American businessman and philanthropist who lived from 1884 to 1968. He founded the Horter Investment Trust and was involved in various charitable organizations in his native Pennsylvania.
While the surname Horter is not among the most common, it can be found scattered throughout Germany, the United States, and other parts of the world with significant German immigration. Its origins and meaning remain tied to the German language and the region of Hesse, where the earliest known records of the name can be traced.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
1881 census detail
Back to topThese tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Horter 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. Lincolnshire leads with 9 Horters recorded in 1881 and an index of 30.40x.
| County | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Lincolnshire | 9 | 30.40x |
| Somerset | 5 | 16.77x |
| Staffordshire | 2 | 3.20x |
| Devon | 1 | 2.59x |
| Lancashire | 1 | 0.46x |
| Middlesex | 1 | 0.54x |
Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bicker in Lincolnshire leads with 5 Horters recorded in 1881 and an index of 10000.00x.
| Place | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Bicker | 5 | 10000.00x |
| Paulton | 5 | 3571.43x |
| Friskney | 3 | 3333.33x |
| Wolverhampton | 2 | 41.58x |
| Devonport | 1 | 227.27x |
| Holbeach | 1 | 303.03x |
| Kensington London | 1 | 9.71x |
| West Derby | 1 | 15.55x |
These are the female first names most often recorded with the Horter surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
FAQ
In 1881, 24 people were recorded with the Horter surname. That placed it at #30,215 in the surname rankings for that year.
The latest modern count shown here is 5 in 2016. That gives Horter a modern rank of #38,264.
An occupational surname related to a horticulturist or gardener.
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Horter 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.