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

Halter, 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 Halter surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Halter in America

Halter is the 7633rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Halter surname appeared 4,349 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 Halter.

We can also compare 2010 data for Halter 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 Halter

The surname HALTER is of German origin, derived from the Middle High German word "halter," which means "keeper" or "holder." This name likely originated among those who worked as stable hands or grooms, responsible for tending to horses and their equipment.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname HALTER can be traced back to the 14th century in various regions of Germany, such as Bavaria and Saxony. In these regions, the name was initially spelled as "Halter" or variations like "Halter" or "Halther."

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Johannes Halter, a farmer from the village of Eberbach in the Rhineland region, mentioned in tax records from the year 1381. Another notable early record is that of Hans Halter, a blacksmith from Nuremberg, whose name appears in guild records from 1423.

The name HALTER can also be found in some historical manuscripts and chronicles from the 15th and 16th centuries. For instance, the Nuremberg Chronicle, a world history published in 1493, mentions a certain Konrad Halter, a merchant from Augsburg.

As the name spread throughout German-speaking regions, it also took on various localized spellings and variations, such as "Halter," "Halther," "Halderen," and "Halderen." Some of these variations were influenced by the local dialects or were adaptations made by scribes and record keepers.

Several notable individuals throughout history have borne the surname HALTER. These include:

1. Johann Halter (1585-1638), a German composer and organist from Nuremberg.
2. Hans Halter (1605-1672), a Swiss mathematician and astronomer from Basel.
3. Maria Halter (1684-1741), a German painter and engraver from Augsburg, renowned for her religious artwork.
4. Johann Christoph Halter (1723-1789), a German architect and builder from Saxony, known for his work on several churches and castles in the region.
5. Wilhelm Halter (1835-1901), a German-American entrepreneur and industrialist who founded the Halter Ironworks in St. Louis, Missouri.

While the surname HALTER is not among the most common surnames today, it has left a lasting mark on history, particularly in German-speaking regions, where it has been associated with various professions and notable individuals over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Halter

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

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

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

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