NameCensus.

UK surname

Suter

An occupational surname referring to a shoemaker or cobbler.

In the 1881 census there were 890 people recorded with the Suter surname, ranking it #4,275 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,176, ranked #5,050, down from #4,275 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Brampton, London parishes and St Mary Bishopshill Junior. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly and Wiltshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Suter is 1,308 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 32.1%.

1881 census count

890

Ranked #4,275

Modern count

1,176

2016, ranked #5,050

Peak year

1998

1,308 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Suter had 890 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,275 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,176 in 2016, ranked #5,050.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,170 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Suter surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Suter surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Suter 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 658 #3,943
1861 historical 579 #4,555
1881 historical 890 #4,275
1891 historical 946 #4,377
1901 historical 1,144 #4,249
1911 historical 1,170 #3,992
1997 modern 1,250 #4,557
1998 modern 1,308 #4,545
1999 modern 1,290 #4,627
2000 modern 1,273 #4,664
2001 modern 1,255 #4,635
2002 modern 1,292 #4,602
2003 modern 1,263 #4,604
2004 modern 1,229 #4,705
2005 modern 1,206 #4,736
2006 modern 1,188 #4,814
2007 modern 1,193 #4,832
2008 modern 1,166 #4,952
2009 modern 1,175 #5,028
2010 modern 1,222 #4,960
2011 modern 1,205 #4,950
2012 modern 1,174 #4,996
2013 modern 1,205 #4,963
2014 modern 1,205 #5,000
2015 modern 1,192 #5,004
2016 modern 1,176 #5,050

Geography

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Where Suters are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Brampton, London parishes, St Mary Bishopshill Junior and Silton, Gillingham (Bourton ). These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly, Wiltshire, York and Sheffield. 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 Brampton Huntingdonshire
2 London parishes London 1
3 St Mary Bishopshill Junior Yorkshire, East Riding
4 Silton, Gillingham (Bourton ) Wiltshire
5 London parishes London 3

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Blaenau Gwent 007 Blaenau Gwent
2 Caerphilly 015 Caerphilly
3 Wiltshire 050 Wiltshire
4 York 009 York
5 Sheffield 014 Sheffield

Forenames

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First names often paired with Suter

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Suter

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

Rural Amenity

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Suter is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Suter is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Suter falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Suter is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Suter

The surname "SUTER" is of German and Anglo-Saxon origin, derived from the Old English word "sutere" which means shoemaker or cobbler. It is believed to have originated in the 12th century when surnames were first adopted in Europe.

The name is first recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086, a manuscript record of a great survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The entry "Radulfus Suter" refers to a shoemaker named Ralph living in Oxfordshire.

In the 13th century, the name appears in various spellings such as "Soutere", "Souter", and "Sowter" in medieval records across England and Scotland. One notable early bearer was Robert Soutere, a burgess of Aberdeen, Scotland, mentioned in records from 1295.

The name was also found in Germany, where it was spelled "Schuster" or "Schuster", derived from the same root word meaning shoemaker. One of the earliest recorded German bearers was Henrich der Schuster, a resident of Nuremberg in the 14th century.

Some notable historical figures with the surname Suter include:

1. John Suter (c. 1505-1564), an English Protestant reformer and clergyman who served as the Dean of Winchester Cathedral. 2. Konrad Suter (1718-1772), a Swiss mathematician and physicist who made significant contributions to the study of comets and celestial mechanics. 3. Johann Rudolf Suter (1766-1827), a Swiss painter known for his landscapes and portraits, considered one of the leading artists of the Swiss Romantic movement. 4. William Suter (1798-1873), a British architect and civil engineer who designed several notable buildings in London, including the iconic Buckingham Palace. 5. Albert Suter (1851-1949), a Swiss botanist and explorer who conducted extensive research on the flora of South Africa and discovered numerous new plant species.

The surname Suter has also been associated with various place names, such as Suter's Creek and Suter's Mill in Virginia, USA, named after early settlers with this surname in the 18th century.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Suter families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Suter 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. Sussex leads with 136 Suters recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.25x.

County Total Index
Sussex 136 9.25x
Hampshire 115 6.43x
Middlesex 94 1.08x
Dorset 61 10.66x
Yorkshire 58 0.67x
Huntingdonshire 54 31.19x
Kent 53 1.78x
Somerset 37 2.64x
Surrey 30 0.71x
Lancashire 28 0.27x
Warwickshire 26 1.18x
Monmouthshire 24 3.81x
Northamptonshire 20 2.44x
Lanarkshire 19 0.67x
Lincolnshire 15 1.08x
Nottinghamshire 14 1.19x
Leicestershire 12 1.24x
Gloucestershire 11 0.64x
Herefordshire 11 3.08x
Rutland 10 15.62x
Cambridgeshire 8 1.45x
Worcestershire 8 0.70x
Essex 7 0.41x
Wiltshire 7 0.91x
Norfolk 6 0.45x
Staffordshire 5 0.17x
Bedfordshire 4 0.89x
Dunbartonshire 4 1.71x
Morayshire 3 2.21x
Berkshire 2 0.31x
Ross-shire 2 0.84x
Royal Navy 2 1.92x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.19x
Cornwall 1 0.10x
Durham 1 0.04x
Inverness-shire 1 0.38x
Isle of Man 1 0.62x
Midlothian 1 0.09x
Montgomeryshire 1 0.50x
Northumberland 1 0.08x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Portsea in Hampshire leads with 68 Suters recorded in 1881 and an index of 19.41x.

Place Total Index
Portsea 68 19.41x
Silton 39 5270.27x
Brampton 35 972.22x
York St Mary 23 64.26x
Bourton 20 800.00x
Greenwich 18 12.97x
Bedminster 17 12.89x
Govan 15 2.15x
St Marylebone London 15 3.22x
St Pancras London 15 2.14x
Tortington 14 2857.14x
West Derby 14 4.62x
Aston 13 2.15x
Brighton 13 4.38x
Mynyddyslwyn 13 52.27x
Peterborough 12 20.21x
Eastergate 11 2291.67x
Southwell 11 128.50x
Woolwich 11 10.01x
Alverstoke 10 15.46x
Hampstead London 9 6.63x
Brenchley 8 75.12x
Godmanchester 8 122.14x
Kingston By Sea 8 341.88x
Shoreditch London 8 2.12x
Whittlesey St Mary St 8 41.47x
York St Lawrence 8 88.79x
Bedwellty 7 6.29x
Bentley Cum Arksey 7 155.21x
Bristol St George 7 8.85x
Burpham 7 573.77x
Ford 7 2333.33x
Mere 7 79.91x
New Shoreham 7 79.46x
Petersfield 7 142.28x
Racton 7 2413.79x
Sculcoates 7 5.11x
Bromley London 6 3.13x
Crowland 6 68.57x
Deptford St Paul 6 2.61x
Drayton 6 491.80x
Havant 6 66.30x
Lewes St Michael 6 205.48x
Owston 6 1176.47x
Pagham 6 230.77x
South Bersted 6 47.96x
Stoke Newington London 6 8.83x
Yaxley 6 148.15x
Birmingham 5 0.68x
Brampton Bryan 5 393.70x
Chidham 5 632.91x
Coventry Holy Trinity 5 7.61x
Denton 5 21.81x
Halifax 5 3.94x
Hove 5 7.75x
Lambeth 5 0.66x
Leicester St Margaret 5 2.12x
Lewisham 5 3.15x
Monckton Combe 5 111.36x
Northampton Priory St 5 10.16x
Ramsey 5 36.08x
Sutton St Edmunds 5 253.81x
Whippingham 5 36.95x
Arundel 4 48.60x
Battersea 4 1.25x
Bonhill 4 10.63x
Chorlton On Medlock 4 2.43x
Clifford Cum Boston 4 51.48x
Headley 4 82.30x
Hordle 4 128.62x
Ledbury 4 32.57x
Luton 4 5.12x
Lyncombe Widcombe 4 10.88x
Mywyddyslwyn 4 263.16x
Redmarley 4 133.78x
Rotherhithe 4 3.71x
St Giles In Fields 4 13.30x
Westbourne 4 54.64x
Exton 3 153.85x
Mile End Old Town 3 2.18x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 53
John 41
George 34
Thomas 26
Charles 23
Henry 19
James 18
Frederick 14
Arthur 13
Robert 12
Walter 11
Richard 10
Alfred 9
Edward 9
Frank 8
Joseph 8
Albert 7
Mark 5
Geo. 4
Harry 4
Samuel 4
Alexander 3
Benjamin 3
David 3
Edwin 3
Ernest 3
Francis 3
Fred 3
Frederic 3
Tom 3
Daniel 2
Fredrick 2
Jesse 2
Peter 2
Phillip 2
Robt. 2
Seth 2
Albine 1
Amos 1
Chas. 1
Egbert 1
Emanuel 1
Fergus 1
Jonathon 1
Lawerance 1
Maryam 1
N.J. 1
Otto 1
Percival 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Suter surname: questions and answers

How common was the Suter surname in 1881?

In 1881, 890 people were recorded with the Suter surname. That placed it at #4,275 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Suter surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,176 in 2016. That gives Suter a modern rank of #5,050.

What does the Suter surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to a shoemaker or cobbler.

What does the Suter map show?

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