Find out how popular the last name Carter is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Carter.

Carter, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Carter surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Carter in America

Carter is the 49th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Carter surname appeared 376,966 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 128 people would have the surname Carter.

We can also compare 2010 data for Carter to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Carter

The surname Carter originated in England during the Anglo-Saxon era. It derived from the Old English word "cræt," meaning cart or wagon. The name initially referred to someone who transported goods or materials by cart, either as an occupation or as a carrier for a nobleman's household.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Cartar" and "Carterius." This suggests that the name was already well-established in various parts of England by the late 11th century.

In the Middle Ages, the name was often spelled with variations such as "Cartere," "Cartare," and "Cartre." These variations reflect the regional dialects and scribal conventions of the time. The name was also associated with certain place names, such as Carterton in Oxfordshire and Cartmel in Cumbria.

One notable figure in history with the surname Carter was Thomas Carter (c. 1508-1582), an English Benedictine monk and Bishop of Rochester. He played a significant role in the religious upheavals of the 16th century, initially supporting the English Reformation but later becoming a Catholic recusant under Queen Elizabeth I.

Another prominent individual was John Carter (1598-1668), an English composer and lutenist during the Baroque period. He served as a musician at the court of Charles I and later became a prominent figure in the musical establishment of the Commonwealth.

In the literary world, Elizabeth Carter (1717-1806) was a prominent English poet, translator, and scholar. She was highly respected in her time for her translations of ancient Greek works and her contributions to the Bluestocking Circle, a influential group of intellectuals.

During the American Revolutionary War, Landon Carter (1710-1778) was a prominent Virginia planter and statesman. He served in the House of Burgesses and was known for his outspoken criticism of British policies leading up to the war.

In the realm of science, Howard Carter (1874-1939) was a renowned British archaeologist and Egyptologist. He is best known for discovering the intact tomb of Tutankhamun in 1922, one of the most significant archaeological finds of the 20th century.

These examples illustrate the widespread presence of the surname Carter throughout history, spanning various fields and regions. The name's origins as an occupational descriptor have evolved into a widely recognized family name with a rich heritage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Carter

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Carter.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Carter was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Carter has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Carter was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Carter, please contact us.

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