2000
#144,908
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Atter
A surname derived from an obsolete word meaning "poison" or "venom."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 115 Americans carry the last name Atter. That puts it at #155,682 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,980,473 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Atter surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Atter with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
115
1 in 2,980,473
Census rank
#155,682
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
100
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 100 bearers of the surname Atter in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155682nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Atter, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.0%. The next largest groups are Black (11.0%) and Two or More Races (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Atter
The surname ATTER has its origins in England, where it first appeared in the medieval period. It derives from the Old English word "atter," which means "poison" or "venom." This suggests that the name may have been an occupational surname for someone who worked with poisonous substances, such as a poisoner or a maker of poisonous substances.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name ATTER can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name is recorded as "Atur" in the Domesday Book, which is likely an early spelling variation of ATTER.
In the 13th century, the name ATTER appeared in various records, including the Curia Regis Rolls of 1219, where a Richard Atter is mentioned. Another early record of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1279, where a John Atter is listed.
During the late medieval and early modern periods, the name ATTER was primarily concentrated in the counties of Devon and Somerset in southwestern England. This suggests that the name may have originated in this region and then spread to other parts of the country.
One notable person with the surname ATTER was John Atter (c. 1500-1550), who was a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of Bristol during the reign of Henry VIII. Another individual of note was Thomas Atter (1655-1720), who was a Church of England clergyman and author of several religious works.
In the 18th century, the surname ATTER appeared in various records across England, including parish registers and tax records. One example is William Atter (1721-1790), who was a farmer and landowner in the village of Westbury-on-Trym, near Bristol.
Another noteworthy person with the surname ATTER was Henry Atter (1783-1856), who was a successful businessman and philanthropist in the city of Exeter. He made significant contributions to various charitable organizations and was influential in the development of Exeter's infrastructure.
Throughout history, the surname ATTER has also been found in various spellings, such as Atter, Atter, Atre, and Attur, reflecting the evolution of English language and regional variations in pronunciation and spelling.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Atter
Among Census respondents with the surname Atter, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.0%. The next largest groups are Black (11.0%) and Two or More Races (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Atter bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Atter surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.0% · 88
- Black or African American11.0% · 11
- Two or more races1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Atter
Atter appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#154,907
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,999 places
2020
#155,682
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
-5 bearers (-4.8%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 775 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #144,908 | 105 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #154,907 | 105 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 9,999 places |
| 2020 | #155,682 | 100 | 0.03 | -5 bearers (-4.8%) | Down 775 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Atter surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #154,907 | #155,682 | -0.5% |
| Count | 105 | 100 | -4.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -16.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Atter bearers went from 105 to 100 (-4.8% change). The surname moved down 775 positions in the national ranking, going from #154,907 to #155,682.
FAQ
Atter surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Atter?
Name Census estimates that about 115 living Americans carry the surname Atter. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,980,473 residents.
How common is Atter?
Atter ranks #155,682 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 100 people with the surname Atter. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (115), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Atter.
Has Atter become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Atter went from 105 recorded bearers to 100. That is a decrease of 5 (-4.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #154,907 to #155,682.
What does the Census say about the background of Atter?
Among Census respondents with the surname Atter, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.0%. The next largest groups are Black (11.0%) and Two or More Races (1.0%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Atter in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.0% (88 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Atter appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.0%), Black (11.0%), Two or More Races (1.0%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Atter (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Atter mean?
A surname derived from an obsolete word meaning "poison" or "venom." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Atter (0.03 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Atter?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.