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

Fotter, 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 Fotter surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Fotter in America

Fotter is the 141140th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Fotter surname appeared 118 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 Fotter.

We can also compare 2010 data for Fotter 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 Fotter

The surname Fotter is of English origin, with roots dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "fot," meaning "foot," and was likely an occupational name given to someone who worked as a runner or messenger.

In the early days, the name was primarily found in the counties of Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, where it was often spelled as "Fotter" or "Fottor." Some variations include "Fotter," "Foottor," and "Foothere."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire from 1545, which mentions a John Fotter from the village of Cottingham.

The Fotter name also appears in the Hearth Tax Rolls of 1672, which were records of households required to pay a tax based on the number of hearths or fireplaces in their homes. This document lists a Thomas Fotter from the town of Gainsborough in Lincolnshire.

In the 17th century, a notable figure bearing the Fotter surname was William Fotter (1624-1691), a prominent merchant and landowner from the city of York. His family's wealth and influence helped establish the Fotter name in the region.

Another individual of historical significance was Richard Fotter (1762-1842), a respected scholar and linguist from Oxford. He is known for his contributions to the study of ancient languages and his translations of classical texts.

During the 18th century, the Fotter name gained prominence in the village of Epworth, Lincolnshire, where a family of that name owned a successful farming estate. One of their descendants, Samuel Fotter (1783-1861), became a respected figure in the local community and served as a magistrate.

In the 19th century, the Fotter name was also found in the United States, with several individuals emigrating from England. One notable American Fotter was John Fotter (1812-1895), a pioneer who settled in the state of Illinois and played a role in the development of the region's agriculture.

Throughout history, the Fotter surname has been associated with various professions, including merchants, scholars, landowners, and farmers, reflecting the diverse backgrounds of those who bore this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Fotter

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!