Origins of the Carter surname

What does the name Carter mean?

Carter is a name of Irish, English and Scottish extraction. The origin of the surname Carter is mostly occupational, deriving from someone who used a wagon or cart to transport goods from place to place. Carter can also stem from the Gaelic word 'cairtear', a description of someone who is a traveller or non-native. The surname Carter is also often used by African Americans as a result of the enslaved being given the surname of their slavers, making it the 22nd most prevalent surname in the Black American community.

Alternative variations of the name Carter

Carter, Carters, Carther, Karter, Cartar

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Delve deeper into the Carter family's history

OrkneyShetlandHighlandsWestern IslesGrampianTaysideCentralStrathclydeFifeLothianBordersDumfriesNorth East 2381North West 1569Isle of Man 28Yorkshire 5111East Midlands 1301West Midlands 2548East 4126London 11169South East 5436South West 1678South Wales 787Mid Wales 53West Wales 12North Wales 103Republic of IrelandNorthern Ireland

In 1921, most Carters lived in london

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Interesting facts about Carter

How common is your surname?

51st most common surname in the UK

We have for the Carter surname. The oldest one dates back to .

Who were Carters most likely to marry?

Our tell us which families married Carters.

What are the most common Carter first names?

John

William

Mary

Elizabeth

Our tell us the names of Carter family members
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Census records provide incredible detail on names, ages, marital statuses, occupations and more.

Common jobs for Carters

Men and women often performed different types of jobs, so these are displayed by gender to maintain their historical accuracy.

Commmon female occupations for Carters in 1921

Dressmaker

2,225

Laundress

1,624

Domestic Servant

1,303

General Servant Domestic

1,269

General Servant

999

Commmon male occupations for Carters in 1921

Agricultural Labourer

3,182

General Labourer

2,160

Farm Labourer

1,691

Carpenter

1,587

Coal Miner

1,338

We found over 550,000 family trees with the Carter surname

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