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

Kolter, 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 Kolter surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kolter in America

Kolter is the 57372nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kolter surname appeared 355 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 Kolter.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kolter 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 Kolter

The surname Kolter is believed to have originated in Germany, possibly in the 15th or 16th century. It is thought to be derived from the Middle High German word "kolter," which referred to a type of cloak or mantle worn by monks or peasants. This suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational surname, given to someone who made or sold such cloaks.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the village of Kolterbach, located in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Historical records from the 16th century mention several families with the surname Kolter residing in this area. It is likely that the name originated here and later spread to other regions of Germany and beyond.

In the 17th century, a notable figure named Johann Kolter (1612-1676) was a German Protestant theologian and author. He wrote several treatises on religious subjects and served as a professor at the University of Marburg. Another early bearer of the name was Hans Kolter (1565-1632), a German painter and engraver who specialized in portraiture and religious scenes.

As the name spread throughout Europe, variations in spelling began to emerge. In some regions, the name was written as Kolther, Kolter, or Colter. This was often due to differences in local dialects and the influence of other languages.

One of the most famous individuals with the surname Kolter was the American explorer and fur trapper John Colter (c. 1775-1813). He was a member of the Lewis and Clark Expedition and is credited with being the first white man to explore the region now known as Yellowstone National Park.

Other notable figures include:

• Friedrich Kolter (1801-1876), a German architect and urban planner who designed several notable buildings in Berlin.
• Wilhelm Kolter (1870-1945), a German composer and music teacher who wrote several operas and choral works.
• Erich Kolter (1903-1983), a German writer and poet known for his novels and short stories exploring the lives of ordinary people.
• Ingeborg Kolter (1920-2006), a German actress who appeared in numerous films and television shows throughout her career.

While the surname Kolter may have originated in a specific region of Germany, it has since spread to various parts of the world, carried by generations of families and individuals who have contributed to its rich and varied history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kolter

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

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

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

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