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

Salter, 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 Salter surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Salter in America

Salter is the 2462nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Salter surname appeared 14,641 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 5 people would have the surname Salter.

We can also compare 2010 data for Salter 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 Salter

The surname Salter is derived from the Old English word "salter" which referred to a worker in salt, either as a maker or seller of salt. It originated in England during the medieval period, primarily in areas where there were salt mines or salt production centers.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Salter can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. This document mentions several individuals with the surname Salter or similar spellings like "Saltor" or "Saltere."

The name Salter was particularly prevalent in counties like Cheshire, Staffordshire, and Worcestershire, where salt production was an important industry. Some early examples include John le Salter, who was documented in the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire in 1272, and William le Salter, who was recorded in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327.

Salter is also associated with various place names in England, such as Salters Hill in Derbyshire, Salters Lane in Oxfordshire, and Salters Brook in Staffordshire. These toponyms suggest that the name may have originated from individuals who lived or worked near areas related to salt production.

Notable historical figures with the surname Salter include Sir Nicholas Salter (c.1505-1586), who was a member of Parliament and Lord Mayor of London in 1590. Another notable Salter was John Salter (1577-1642), an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works.

Other prominent individuals with this surname include Samuel Salter (1604-1670), one of the founders of the town of Windsor, Connecticut, in the American colonies, and James Salter (1925-2015), an American writer and novelist best known for his works such as "A Sport and a Pastime" and "Light Years."

The surname Salter has also been borne by several artists and musicians, including Mary Jo Salter (born 1954), an American poet and academic, and Sly Salter (born 1987), an American rapper and songwriter.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Salter

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

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

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

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