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

Quilter, 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 Quilter surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Quilter in America

Quilter is the 34878th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Quilter surname appeared 647 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 Quilter.

We can also compare 2010 data for Quilter 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 Quilter

The surname Quilter originated in England, specifically in the counties of Yorkshire and Northumberland, during the 13th century. It is an occupational name derived from the Old English word "quilte," meaning a quilt or mattress stuffed with wool or other soft materials.

In medieval times, quilters were skilled artisans who crafted quilted garments and bedding for the nobility and wealthy merchants. The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in tax rolls and parish records from the 14th century, with variations in spelling such as "Quylter" and "Quiltere."

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was John Quilter, a quilter from York who is mentioned in the city's Freemen Rolls in 1349. Another notable Quilter was William Quilter, a prosperous quilter and merchant from Newcastle upon Tyne, whose will was recorded in 1487.

The Quilter surname is also associated with several place names in England, such as Quilter's Village in Northumberland and Quilter's Booth in Yorkshire. These names suggest that certain Quilter families may have established workshops or settlements in these areas.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals bearing the Quilter surname, including:

1. Sir William Quilter (1808-1888), a British businessman and philanthropist who co-founded the Quilter Baxter & Co. investment firm.

2. Harry Quilter (1851-1907), an English artist and illustrator known for his paintings of rural scenes and landscapes.

3. Roger Quilter (1877-1953), an English composer known for his art songs and light orchestral works.

4. Amos Quilter (1779-1857), an English Baptist minister and author who published several religious works.

5. Sir Cuthbert Quilter (1841-1911), a British lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Suffolk.

The Quilter surname has a rich history rooted in the traditional craft of quilting, and its bearers have made significant contributions in various fields throughout the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Quilter

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

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

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

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