Seiter last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Seiter

Derived from the Middle High German word "seitaere," referring to a rope maker or cord maker.

Seiter, 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 Seiter surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Seiter in America

Seiter is the 14902nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Seiter surname appeared 1,986 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 Seiter.

We can also compare 2010 data for Seiter 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.

20102000Change (%)
Rank1490215135-1.55%
Count1,9861,78810.49%
Proportion per 100k0.670.661.50%

The history of the last name Seiter

The surname SEITER has its origins in Germany, where it first emerged in the Middle Ages. It is derived from the German word "Seiter," which means "one who makes rope or cord." This indicates that the name likely originated from an occupation or trade involving the production of ropes or cords.

The earliest recorded instances of the SEITER surname can be traced back to the 14th century. One notable mention is in the Nuremberg tax records of 1387, where a Hans Seiter is listed as a resident. This suggests that the name was already established in the region at that time.

During the 15th century, the SEITER name appeared in various historical documents across German-speaking regions. For example, in 1452, a Johannes Seiter was recorded as living in the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, located in Bavaria.

As the centuries passed, the SEITER name spread to other parts of Europe, particularly through migration and trade. In the 16th century, a prominent figure bearing this surname was Christoph Seiter (1528-1594), a German Protestant theologian and reformer who played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation.

Another notable bearer of the SEITER name was Johann Seiter (1630-1705), a German composer and organist who lived in Nuremberg. His works contributed to the rich musical tradition of the Baroque era.

In the 18th century, the SEITER surname can be found in various place names across Germany, such as Seiterdorf (a village in Bavaria) and Seitersbrunnen (a spring in Saxony). These place names likely derived from individuals bearing the SEITER surname who settled in those areas.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the SEITER name in the United States dates back to the late 18th century, when Johann Georg Seiter (1753-1831) emigrated from Germany and settled in Pennsylvania. He became a prominent figure in the German-American community and played a role in the establishment of the German Lutheran Church in America.

As the centuries progressed, the SEITER surname continued to be represented across various fields, including academia, arts, and politics. Noteworthy individuals include Friedrich Seiter (1801-1877), a German philosopher and educator, and Max Seiter (1857-1938), a German architect responsible for designing several notable buildings in Berlin.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Seiter

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

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 Seiter was:

Race/EthnicityPercentageTotal Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only97.08%1,928
Non-Hispanic Black Only0.35%7
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only0.60%12
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native0.00%0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races0.50%10
Hispanic Origin1.46%29

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 Seiter has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

20102000Change (%)
White97.08%97.48%-0.41%
Black0.35%(S)%(S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander0.60%0.45%28.57%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.00%(S)%(S)%
Two or More Races0.50%0.67%-29.06%
Hispanic1.46%0.95%42.32%

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

Search for a name

Search for a first or last name to learn more about its origin, meaning, and more.

Simple as that.

Search
Search
Background shape