The Carter surname
In the 2010 U.S. Census, 376,966 people carried this name — #49 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 783 people counted. That is up 4% from 362,548 in 2000.
What the name means
The meaning of the Carter surname
As an English name, from the occupation carter. As an Irish name, from Irish Mac Artúir (literally “son of Arthur”).
From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Carter» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.
In Ireland’s birth registers, 1890
Ireland registered 38 births for the Carter name in 1890.
They were registered in all four provinces, most of all in Leinster. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 1,700 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time. The Registrar-General’s note on the name: “Dublin and Galway.”
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they were born, 1890
Registrar-General for Ireland, «Special Report on Surnames in Ireland» (R. E. Matheson, 1894), births index of 1890 — public domain.
In Argentina’s national register
At least 144 people named Carter live in Argentina.
RENAPER only publishes a name in a province when more than ten people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Buenos Aires Province.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
RENAPER (National Registry of Persons, Argentina), surnames of residents by province, December 2021 — CC BY 4.0.
In France’s civil register
France’s register of deaths holds 136 people named Carter.
Most of them — 86 — were born outside France. Those born in France came from 16 départements, most often Paris.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they were born
Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.
In Switzerland’s population statistics
101 people named Carter live in Switzerland.
They live in 10 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, most of all in Zurich.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO), «Surnames of the permanent resident population by canton», 2025, opendata.swiss/en/dataset/nachnamen-der-standigen-wohnbevolkerung-nach-kanton3 · names with fewer than 3 bearers in a canton are not published.
In Poland’s population register
64 people named Carter have a registered home in Poland.
Of the 206 in Poland’s national register, these are the ones with a permanent address on file. They live in 12 of Poland’s 16 voivodeships, most of all in Masovian.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
PESEL register, Ministry of Digital Affairs of Poland (dane.gov.pl) — CC0 · living people by voivodeship of permanent residence, 20 January 2026.
In the Nordic population registers
278 people named Carter are counted in Sweden and Finland.
Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published. Finland counts its citizens, at home or abroad.
Counted, by country
Own calculations based on data from Statistics Sweden (SCB), surnames with at least two bearers, 31 December 2022 — CC BY 4.0 (names with 20 or more bearers shown) · Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV), Finland, surname statistics, August 2026 — CC BY 4.0.
In print
Carter in American newspapers,
1899–1937.
Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 2,307,776 pages in all carry the name.
Who carried it
People named Carter,
with a public archive behind them.
-
Elizabeth Carter 1717–1806 · writer -
Henry John Carter 1813–1895 · zoologist -
Samuel P. Carter 1819–1891 · military officer -
Charles Carter 1822–1896 · politician -
Dennis Malone Carter 1827–1881 · painter
Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons (CC0) · 198 lives in all are documented under this name.
Nearby in the index
Surnames next to Carter.
- Cart 1,103 · U.S. census
- Carta 1,028 · U.S. census
- Cartagena 8,467 · U.S. census
- Carte 2,292 · U.S. census
- Carteaux 156 · U.S. census
- Cartel 101 · U.S. census
- Cartier 2,873 · U.S. census
- Carton 1,005 · U.S. census
- Carty 6,332 · U.S. census
- Caruana 1,286 · U.S. census
- Caruso 20,367 · U.S. census
- Carvajal 8,883 · U.S. census
When the index is not enough
This page says where Carter is.
A volume says what happened to it.
Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.