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

Exter, 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 Exter surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Exter in America

Exter is the 95115th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Exter surname appeared 192 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Exter.

We can also compare 2010 data for Exter 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 Exter

The surname Exter originated in England during the late 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word "ex" meaning "water" and "tur" meaning "town". This suggests that the name originally referred to someone who lived near a body of water or a waterway in a town or village.

One of the earliest recorded references to the name Exter can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Nottinghamshire from 1195, where a Richard de Exter is mentioned. The Pipe Rolls were a series of financial records maintained by the English Exchequer during the medieval period.

Another early appearance of the name is in the Curia Regis Rolls of 1207, which document legal proceedings in the royal court. Here, a Robert de Exter is listed as a witness in a case concerning land ownership in Yorkshire.

The Exter surname is also found in the Feet of Fines, a collection of legal records from the 13th century. In 1275, a Henry de Exter is recorded as having acquired land in Oxfordshire.

An interesting historical figure with this surname was Sir John Exter, a prominent merchant and member of the Worshipful Company of Mercers in London during the 15th century. He was born around 1420 and served as Lord Mayor of London from 1475 to 1476.

Another notable bearer of the name was William Exter, an English Puritan minister who lived from 1566 to 1623. He was a renowned preacher and author, known for his sermons and theological writings.

In the 16th century, the surname Exter appears to have been concentrated in the counties of Devon and Somerset, where it may have originated. The name was also found in various spellings such as Exeter and Exiter, reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling at the time.

The Exter surname has also been associated with several place names in England, such as Exter in Hampshire and Exeter in Devon. The latter is a city that likely derived its name from the same Old English roots as the surname, indicating a settlement near water or a river.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Exter

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

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 Exter 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 Exter 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 Exter was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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