2000
#102,691
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 162
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Totter
A surname derived from an occupational term for a linen weaver or dealer.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 216 Americans carry the last name Totter. That puts it at #102,164 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,586,826 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Totter surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
216
1 in 1,586,826
Census rank
#102,164
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
188
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 188 bearers of the surname Totter in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 102164th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Totter, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (16.5%) and Two or More Races (5.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Totter
The surname Totter has its origins in England, dating back to the late 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Middle English word "toter," which meant "to totter" or "to move unsteadily." This surname was likely given as a descriptive name to individuals who walked or moved in an unsteady or tottering manner.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Totter can be found in the parish records of Oxfordshire, England, in the late 1500s. The name is also mentioned in various historical documents from the 17th and 18th centuries, such as legal records, tax rolls, and parish registers.
In the early 17th century, a notable figure with the surname Totter was John Totter, a merchant and landowner from Gloucestershire, England. He was born around 1590 and was known for his involvement in local affairs and his philanthropic endeavors.
Another significant individual bearing the Totter surname was William Totter, a renowned clockmaker from London, who lived from 1675 to 1742. His clocks were highly prized for their craftsmanship and accuracy, and some of his works can still be found in museums and private collections.
During the 18th century, the Totter family had a strong presence in the county of Wiltshire, England. One notable member was Thomas Totter, a prominent farmer and landowner who lived from 1720 to 1795. He was known for his innovative agricultural practices and his contributions to the local community.
In the 19th century, the Totter surname gained prominence in the literary world with the English author and poet, Emily Totter. Born in 1825, she was highly regarded for her poetic works and her contributions to the Romantic movement in literature. Her most famous work, "Echoes of the Heart," was published in 1860 and received critical acclaim.
Another notable individual with the Totter surname was Sir Henry Totter, a British military officer who served during the Crimean War in the mid-19th century. He was born in 1820 and gained recognition for his bravery and leadership on the battlefield, ultimately rising to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel before his retirement in 1875.
While the surname Totter may not be as widespread as some other English surnames, it has a rich history and has been carried by individuals who have made significant contributions to various fields throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Totter
Among Census respondents with the surname Totter, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (16.5%) and Two or More Races (5.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Totter bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Totter surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White73.4% · 138
- Hispanic or Latino16.5% · 31
- Two or more races5.9% · 11
- Black or African American4.3% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Totter
Totter appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#103,655
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 173
+11 bearers (+6.8%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Down 964 places
2020
#102,164
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 188
+15 bearers (+8.7%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Up 1,491 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #102,691 | 162 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #103,655 | 173 | 0.06 | +11 bearers (+6.8%) | Down 964 places |
| 2020 | #102,164 | 188 | 0.06 | +15 bearers (+8.7%) | Up 1,491 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Totter surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #103,655 | #102,164 | 1.4% |
| Count | 173 | 188 | 8.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.06 | 0.06 | 4.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Totter bearers went from 173 to 188 (+8.7% change). The surname moved up 1,491 positions in the national ranking, going from #103,655 to #102,164.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Totter
FAQ
Totter surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Totter?
Name Census estimates that about 216 living Americans carry the surname Totter. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,586,826 residents.
How common is Totter?
Totter ranks #102,164 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.06 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 188 people with the surname Totter. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (216), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.06 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.06 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Totter.
Has Totter become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Totter went from 173 recorded bearers to 188. That is an increase of 15 (+8.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #103,655 to #102,164.
What does the Census say about the background of Totter?
Among Census respondents with the surname Totter, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (16.5%) and Two or More Races (5.9%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Totter in the 2020 Census, accounting for 73.4% (138 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Totter appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (73.4%), Hispanic (16.5%), Two or More Races (5.9%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Totter (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Totter mean?
A surname derived from an occupational term for a linen weaver or dealer. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Totter (0.06 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Totter?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.