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

Geter, 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 Geter surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Geter in America

Geter is the 9431st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Geter surname appeared 3,449 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Geter.

We can also compare 2010 data for Geter 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 Geter

The surname "GETER" is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "gete" or "gat," which means "goat." This suggests that the name may have been initially used as an occupational name for someone who tended goats or was associated with the goat farming industry.

One of the earliest recorded instances of this surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from the year 1170, where a person named Robert le Geter was mentioned. This indicates that the name was already in use during the 12th century.

In the 13th century, the surname appeared in various spellings, such as "Geter," "Getter," and "Gatter," reflecting the inconsistencies in spelling during that time period. One notable bearer of this name was John Geter, a landowner in Suffolk, who was mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of 1327.

The Geter surname continued to be found in various regions of England throughout the subsequent centuries. In the 16th century, a record from the Parish Registers of Nottinghamshire mentions a William Geter who was born in 1542.

One of the earliest known bearers of the Geter surname in America was John Geter, who arrived in Virginia in 1635. He is believed to have been one of the first settlers in the colony and likely came from England.

Notable individuals with the surname Geter include:

1. William Geter (1592-1658), an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works.
2. John Geter (1725-1799), an American soldier who fought in the Revolutionary War.
3. Elizabeth Geter (1780-1862), an English author and poet known for her romantic novels.
4. Samuel Geter (1842-1910), an American businessman and philanthropist who founded the Geter Charitable Foundation.
5. Mary Geter (1892-1974), an American civil rights activist and educator who fought for equal rights and better educational opportunities for African Americans.

While the Geter surname may have originated as an occupational name, it has since become a well-established surname with bearers found throughout various parts of the world, particularly in English-speaking countries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Geter

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

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

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

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