NameCensus.

UK surname

Larter

An English occupational surname derived from the Old English word "lartere" meaning clerk or secretary.

In the 1881 census there were 559 people recorded with the Larter surname, ranking it #6,192 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 918, ranked #6,215, down from #6,192 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St John Hackney and Ipswich St Mary Stoke. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Waveney, Tonbridge and Malling and Suffolk Coastal.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Larter is 951 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 64.2%.

1881 census count

559

Ranked #6,192

Modern count

918

2016, ranked #6,215

Peak year

2002

951 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Larter had 559 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,192 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 918 in 2016, ranked #6,215.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 930 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Larter surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Larter surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Larter 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 476 #5,228
1861 historical 361 #7,076
1881 historical 559 #6,192
1891 historical 688 #5,693
1901 historical 833 #5,445
1911 historical 930 #4,827
1997 modern 910 #5,924
1998 modern 921 #6,043
1999 modern 936 #6,022
2000 modern 919 #6,085
2001 modern 924 #5,959
2002 modern 951 #5,924
2003 modern 904 #6,065
2004 modern 911 #6,034
2005 modern 897 #6,045
2006 modern 901 #6,035
2007 modern 894 #6,122
2008 modern 901 #6,128
2009 modern 907 #6,223
2010 modern 927 #6,237
2011 modern 900 #6,322
2012 modern 906 #6,220
2013 modern 940 #6,143
2014 modern 949 #6,129
2015 modern 931 #6,173
2016 modern 918 #6,215

Geography

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Where Larters are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, St John Hackney, Ipswich St Mary Stoke, Bacton, Edingthorpe and Fressingfield. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Waveney, Tonbridge and Malling and Suffolk Coastal. 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 3
2 St John Hackney London (North Districts)
3 Ipswich St Mary Stoke Suffolk
4 Bacton, Edingthorpe Norfolk
5 Fressingfield Suffolk

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Waveney 004 Waveney
2 Waveney 002 Waveney
3 Tonbridge and Malling 012 Tonbridge and Malling
4 Waveney 003 Waveney
5 Suffolk Coastal 002 Suffolk Coastal

Forenames

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First names often paired with Larter

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Larter

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Larter surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Larter household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Larter 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

Larter is most concentrated in decile 7 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Larter falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Larter

The surname Larter is believed to have originated in England, possibly as early as the 12th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "laerd," which means "learning" or "instruction." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who was a teacher or scholar.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Larter can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1230, where a person named Robert Larter is mentioned. The Pipe Rolls were financial records kept by the English Exchequer during the Middle Ages.

In the 13th century, the name Larter appeared in various forms, such as Lardner, Lardenor, and Lardener, reflecting the evolution of spelling patterns over time. These variations may have been influenced by the Old French word "larder," which means "pantry" or "larder," suggesting a potential connection to someone who worked in a pantry or managed food supplies.

During the 14th century, the name Larter was recorded in several historical documents, including the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, where a John Larter was listed as a taxpayer. The Subsidy Rolls were tax records compiled by the English government.

One notable figure with the surname Larter was John Larter, a prominent merchant and wool trader in London during the late 15th century. He was involved in the export of English wool to the Netherlands and other parts of Europe.

In the 16th century, the name Larter appeared in various parish records and legal documents across different counties in England, such as Essex, Suffolk, and Hertfordshire. This suggests that the name had spread across various regions of the country.

Another notable individual with the surname Larter was William Larter, an English clergyman who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He served as the Rector of Sutton Mandeville in Wiltshire from 1599 until his death in 1631.

During the 17th century, the name Larter was found in various birth, marriage, and death records in England, indicating its continued presence throughout the country.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Larter in North America can be traced back to the 17th century, when John Larter, born in England in 1643, immigrated to Massachusetts Bay Colony in the 1670s.

In the 18th century, the surname Larter appeared in various colonial records in British North America, particularly in New England and the Mid-Atlantic regions, suggesting that some individuals with this surname had made the journey across the Atlantic.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Larter families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Larter 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. Suffolk leads with 195 Larters recorded in 1881 and an index of 29.36x.

County Total Index
Suffolk 195 29.36x
Norfolk 153 18.25x
Middlesex 74 1.36x
Lancashire 35 0.54x
Essex 26 2.42x
Surrey 23 0.87x
Kent 14 0.75x
Yorkshire 11 0.20x
Devon 4 0.35x
Lincolnshire 4 0.46x
Sussex 4 0.44x
Hertfordshire 3 0.80x
Warwickshire 3 0.22x
Gloucestershire 2 0.19x
Nottinghamshire 2 0.27x
Bedfordshire 1 0.35x
Durham 1 0.06x
Glamorgan 1 0.11x
Huntingdonshire 1 0.92x
Leicestershire 1 0.17x
Shropshire 1 0.21x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Mulbarton in Norfolk leads with 26 Larters recorded in 1881 and an index of 2680.41x.

Place Total Index
Mulbarton 26 2680.41x
Kensington London 14 4.62x
Hackney London 13 4.25x
Cratfield 12 1290.32x
Spotland 12 16.68x
Brundish 11 1594.20x
Dennington 11 748.30x
Diss 11 152.99x
Stradbroke 11 491.07x
Swardeston 11 1746.03x
Deptford St Paul 10 6.97x
Halesworth 10 212.31x
Happisburgh 10 952.38x
Walsham Le Willows 10 450.45x
Edingthorpe 9 2571.43x
Holton 9 1058.82x
Mundesley 9 1285.71x
Wickham Market 9 327.27x
Crostwight 8 5333.33x
Lakenheath 8 227.92x
Ludham 8 536.91x
Norwich St Stephen 8 103.90x
Shoreditch London 8 3.38x
Worlingworth 8 666.67x
Bedfield 7 1000.00x
Bungay Holy Trinity 7 205.28x
Ipswich St Helen 7 88.95x
Latchingdon Snoreham 7 686.27x
Wanstead 7 37.14x
Botesdale 6 582.52x
Harrow On The Hill 6 55.10x
Newchurch 6 11.34x
Newington 6 2.98x
St Pancras London 6 1.37x
Westleton 6 384.62x
Bacton 5 574.71x
Dunwich 5 1063.83x
High Laver 5 561.80x
Lower Booths 5 43.14x
Norwich St Michael At 5 102.88x
Palgrave 5 357.14x
Parham 5 602.41x
Sculcoates 5 5.84x
Spitalfields London 5 12.19x
Coltishall 4 224.72x
Debenham 4 181.82x
Frostenden 4 555.56x
Honing 4 666.67x
Horsted Keynes 4 186.92x
Lambeth 4 0.84x
Middleton 4 425.53x
Mile End Old Town London 4 3.45x
South Elmham St Margaret 4 1481.48x
Southwark St John 4 23.98x
Tannington 4 1052.63x
Thornhill 4 25.36x
Tormoham 4 8.33x
Bury 3 4.06x
Camberwell 3 0.86x
East Ruston 3 241.94x
Fressingfield 3 140.19x
Great Yarmouth 3 4.32x
Hargham 3 2307.69x
Hatfield 3 39.37x
Horham 3 476.19x
Ipswich St Mathew 3 16.12x
Islington London 3 0.57x
West Derby 3 1.58x
Birmingham 2 0.44x
Blundeston 2 150.38x
Croydon 2 1.36x
Gazeley 2 128.21x
Hardingham 2 206.19x
Heigham 2 4.44x
Rockland St Mary 2 240.96x
St Peterin Eastgate 2 74.07x
Walcott 2 869.57x
Wenhaston 2 121.95x
Wetheringsett Cum 2 103.63x
Woodbridge 2 23.56x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 32
Elizabeth 22
Alice 15
Jane 13
Sarah 13
Emma 11
Ann 10
Susan 9
Eliza 8
Charlotte 7
Edith 7
Harriett 7
Maria 7
Annie 6
Ellen 6
Hannah 6
Caroline 5
Emily 5
Florence 4
Kate 4
Ada 3
Agnes 3
Fanny 3
Frances 3
Jessie 3
Matilda 3
Rachel 3
Rosa 3
Amelia 2
Anne 2
Carry 2
Catherine 2
Clara 2
Ethel 2
Harriet 2
Infant 2
Louisa 2
Martha 2
Mercy 2
Phoebe 2
Rebecca 2
Rose 2
Sophia 2
Susanna 2
Cassandra 1
Georgina 1
Hagar 1
Mabel 1
Margt. 1
Thirza 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 34
John 31
George 22
Robert 18
James 15
Charles 14
Arthur 13
Edward 13
Henry 11
Thomas 11
Albert 8
Daniel 8
Alfred 7
Frederick 7
Harry 5
Herbert 4
Lewis 4
Richard 4
Walter 4
Ernest 3
Joseph 3
Benjamin 2
Ezekiel 2
Pembroke 2
Samuel 2
Blithe 1
Cornelius 1
Edwin 1
Eldred 1
Elijah 1
Ellen 1
Francis 1
Fred 1
Fred. 1
Fredck. 1
Free 1
Geo.Wm. 1
Hobart 1
Isaac 1
Jacob 1
Jesse 1
Jessie 1
Luke 1
Martin 1
May 1
Norman 1
Percy 1
Peter 1
Seaman 1
Willian 1

FAQ

Larter surname: questions and answers

How common was the Larter surname in 1881?

In 1881, 559 people were recorded with the Larter surname. That placed it at #6,192 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Larter surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 918 in 2016. That gives Larter a modern rank of #6,215.

What does the Larter surname mean?

An English occupational surname derived from the Old English word "lartere" meaning clerk or secretary.

What does the Larter map show?

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