2000
#7,067
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,365
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.62
Rare Last name
Cutter
An occupational surname referring to someone who makes or sells knives or other cutting implements.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,118 Americans carry the last name Cutter. That puts it at #7,214 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.49 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 66,970 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cutter 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 Cutter with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.1K
1 in 66,970
Census rank
#7,214
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,463 bearers of the surname Cutter in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.49 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7214th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cutter, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.7%. The next largest groups are Black (7.8%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cutter
The surname Cutter originated in England in the late 12th century. It derived from the Old English word "cuttere," which referred to a cutter or tailor of cloth. The name was first recorded in the county of Somerset, where many early bearers of the name were employed as skilled cloth workers.
One of the earliest known references to the Cutter surname appears in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1195, which mentions a Ralph le Cuttere. In the 13th century, the name was also found in various other records, such as the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, which lists a Walter le Cuttere.
The Cutter surname is closely associated with the textile industry that flourished in medieval England, particularly in the West Country and East Anglia. As skilled craftsmen, Cutters were responsible for cutting and shaping fabric for clothing and other garments.
During the 14th and 15th centuries, the surname began to spread beyond its original regional boundaries. In the 1381 Poll Tax records of Yorkshire, a John Cuttere is listed, while the Subsidy Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1327 mention a Robert Cuttere.
Notable historical figures bearing the Cutter surname include:
1. William Cutter (c. 1590-1659), an English clergyman and author who served as the Dean of Ely Cathedral.
2. John Cutter (1628-1718), an early American settler who arrived in New England in the 17th century and founded a prominent family in Massachusetts.
3. Benjamin Cutter (1719-1793), an American physician and soldier who served as a surgeon during the Revolutionary War.
4. Sarah Cutter (1772-1857), an American educator and pioneer in the field of early childhood education.
5. George Washington Cutter (1801-1865), an American lawyer and politician who served as a U.S. Representative from Ohio.
While the Cutter surname has its roots in the textile trade, over time, it has become associated with various other occupations and professions as bearers of the name diversified their livelihoods.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cutter
Among Census respondents with the surname Cutter, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.7%. The next largest groups are Black (7.8%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Cutter 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 Cutter surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.7% · 3,690
- Black or African American7.8% · 346
- Two or more races4.1% · 181
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 143
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.3% · 60
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 43
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cutter
Cutter 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
#7,311
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,563
+198 bearers (+4.5%)
Per 100,000 1.55
Rank movement Down 244 places
2020
#7,214
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,463
-100 bearers (-2.2%)
Per 100,000 1.49
Rank movement Up 97 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,067 | 4,365 | 1.62 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,311 | 4,563 | 1.55 | +198 bearers (+4.5%) | Down 244 places |
| 2020 | #7,214 | 4,463 | 1.49 | -100 bearers (-2.2%) | Up 97 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 Cutter 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 | #7,311 | #7,214 | 1.3% |
| Count | 4,563 | 4,463 | -2.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.55 | 1.49 | -3.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cutter bearers went from 4,563 to 4,463 (-2.2% change). The surname moved up 97 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,311 to #7,214.
FAQ
Cutter surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cutter?
Name Census estimates that about 5,118 living Americans carry the surname Cutter. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 66,970 residents.
How common is Cutter?
Cutter ranks #7,214 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.49 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 4,463 people with the surname Cutter. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,118), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.49 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.49 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 Cutter.
Has Cutter become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cutter went from 4,563 recorded bearers to 4,463. That is a decrease of 100 (-2.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #7,311 to #7,214.
What does the Census say about the background of Cutter?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cutter, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.7%. The next largest groups are Black (7.8%) and Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Cutter in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.7% (3,690 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cutter appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.7%), Black (7.8%), Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Cutter (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 Cutter mean?
An occupational surname referring to someone who makes or sells knives or other cutting implements. 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 Cutter (1.49 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 last name Cutter?
Find out how many people have the last name Cutter on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.