Arter
Derived from the Turkish word "artar" meaning "excess" or "surplus".
Name Census estimates that about 0 living Americans carry the first name Arter. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Arter today is around 0 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Arter births was 1916 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Arter. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Arter. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
0
~ - Americans
Peak year
1916
5 babies that year
Average age
-
1916 SSA rank
#3,937
Tracked since 1916
Popularity
Arter: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Arter by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Arter during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1910s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Arter
The name Arter is a relatively rare given name of uncertain origin, with no definitive records of its earliest usage or etymology. However, some theories suggest it may have roots in the Old English or Anglo-Saxon languages, potentially derived from words related to nature, such as "earth" or "fertile land."
One possible connection is to the Old English word "eorþe," meaning "earth" or "ground," which could have evolved into the name Arter over time. Alternatively, it may be linked to the Old English "eardian," meaning "to dwell" or "to inhabit," suggesting a connection to a particular place or region.
Despite its obscure origins, a few historical figures have borne the name Arter throughout the centuries. One of the earliest documented individuals was Arter Thorne, an English landowner and farmer who lived in the late 16th century, born around 1560 in Oxfordshire.
Another notable bearer of the name was Arter Wyndham, a British politician and member of Parliament who lived in the 17th century, born in 1625 and serving as MP for Wiltshire from 1661 to 1679.
In the 18th century, Arter Buckley was a prominent merchant and trader in colonial America, born in 1718 in Boston, Massachusetts. He established a successful import-export business and played a role in the city's economic growth during that era.
Moving into the 19th century, Arter Gilmore was a Scottish writer and poet, born in 1825 in Edinburgh. He published several volumes of poetry and gained recognition for his romantic and nature-inspired works.
Finally, in the early 20th century, Arter Blackwell was a British architect and designer, born in 1890 in London. He was known for his innovative designs and contributions to the Art Deco movement, leaving a lasting impact on architecture and interior design during that period.
While the name Arter may lack a definitive historical record, these examples illustrate its sporadic usage over the centuries, with individuals from various backgrounds and professions carrying this unique moniker.
People
Arter + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Arter as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with A
Other first names starting with A with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Arter: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Arter?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 0 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Arter going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about - US residents.
Is Arter a common name?
We classify Arter as "Very Rare". It ranks above 2.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Arter most popular?
The single biggest year for Arter was 1916, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Arter is about 0 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Arter in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Arter a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Arter in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Arter still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Arter in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Arter can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many Americans are named Arter?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.