2000
#11,070
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,635
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.98
Rare Last name
Courter
A surname for someone who lived near a noble's court or worked as a courtier.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,948 Americans carry the last name Courter. That puts it at #11,673 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.86 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 116,267 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Courter 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.
Bearers in the US
2.9K
1 in 116,267
Census rank
#11,673
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,571 bearers of the surname Courter in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.86 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11673rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Courter, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Courter
The surname Courter has its origins in France, dating back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old French word "courtier," which referred to a person who served in a court or was involved in legal proceedings. This occupational surname was likely given to someone who worked in a royal or noble court, or who had a role in the legal system.
The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in medieval French records and documents from the 12th and 13th centuries. The name appears to have been particularly prevalent in the northern regions of France, including Normandy and Picardy. Some variations in spelling, such as Courtier, Courtois, and Courteau, can also be found in these early records.
One notable historical figure with the surname Courter was Jean Courter, a French diplomat and courtier who lived during the 15th century. He served as an ambassador for the French monarchy and played a significant role in negotiating treaties and alliances with other European powers.
In the 16th century, the name spread to other parts of Europe, including the Low Countries and Germany, where it was sometimes spelled as Courter or Courter. During this period, a prominent figure with the name was Pieter Courter, a Dutch merchant and trader who established a successful business empire in Amsterdam.
As the name traveled across Europe, it also made its way to the British Isles. In the 17th century, a notable English bearer of the surname was William Courter, a landowner and magistrate from Oxfordshire. He was known for his involvement in local politics and administration.
Over the centuries, the Courter surname has been carried by various individuals across different fields and professions. In the 18th century, John Courter was a renowned English architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including St. Martin-in-the-Fields Church.
Another prominent figure with the surname was Marie Courter, a French artist and painter from the 19th century. She was renowned for her portraits and landscapes, and her works were exhibited in prestigious salons and galleries across Europe.
As the name continued to spread and evolve, it also found its way to other parts of the world, including the Americas, where it was adopted by immigrants from various European countries. However, the origins and historical significance of the Courter surname can be traced back to its French roots and the occupational and legal associations of its early bearers.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Courter
Among Census respondents with the surname Courter, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Courter 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 Courter surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.3% · 2,400
- Two or more races3.5% · 91
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 48
- Black or African American0.8% · 21
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.2% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Courter
Courter 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
#11,408
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,764
+129 bearers (+4.9%)
Per 100,000 0.94
Rank movement Down 338 places
2020
#11,673
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,571
-193 bearers (-7.0%)
Per 100,000 0.86
Rank movement Down 265 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,070 | 2,635 | 0.98 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,408 | 2,764 | 0.94 | +129 bearers (+4.9%) | Down 338 places |
| 2020 | #11,673 | 2,571 | 0.86 | -193 bearers (-7.0%) | Down 265 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 Courter 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 | #11,408 | #11,673 | -2.3% |
| Count | 2,764 | 2,571 | -7.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.94 | 0.86 | -8.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Courter bearers went from 2,764 to 2,571 (-7.0% change). The surname moved down 265 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,408 to #11,673.
FAQ
Courter surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Courter?
Name Census estimates that about 2,948 living Americans carry the surname Courter. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 116,267 residents.
How common is Courter?
Courter ranks #11,673 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.86 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,571 people with the surname Courter. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,948), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.86 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.86 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Courter.
Has Courter become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Courter went from 2,764 recorded bearers to 2,571. That is a decrease of 193 (-7.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,408 to #11,673.
What does the Census say about the background of Courter?
Among Census respondents with the surname Courter, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (1.9%). 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 Courter in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.3% (2,400 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Courter appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.3%), Two or More Races (3.5%), Hispanic (1.9%). 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 Courter (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 Courter mean?
A surname for someone who lived near a noble's court or worked as a courtier. 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 Courter (0.86 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 have the surname Courter?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.