The Hunter surname
In the 2010 U.S. Census, 162,440 people carried this name — #160 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 1,820 people counted. That is up 5% from 154,410 in 2000.
What the name means
The meaning of the Hunter surname
An English and Scottish surname originating as an occupation for a hunter.
From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Hunter» (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 95 births for the Hunter name in 1890.
They were registered in all four provinces, most of all in Ulster. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 4,200 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time. The Registrar-General’s note on the name: “Antrim, Londonderry, and Down.”
Where it concentrates, on the mapWhere 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 177 people named Hunter 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.
Where it concentrates, on the mapWhere they live today
RENAPER (National Registry of Persons, Argentina), surnames of residents by province, December 2021 — CC BY 4.0.
In Switzerland’s population statistics
116 people named Hunter live in Switzerland.
They live in 11 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 France’s civil register
France’s register of deaths holds 100 people named Hunter.
44 of them were born outside France. Those born in France came from 11 départements, most often French Polynesia.
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 Poland’s population register
21 people named Hunter have a registered home in Poland.
Of the 109 in Poland’s national register, these are the ones with a permanent address on file. They live in 6 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
160 people named Hunter 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
Hunter in American newspapers,
1902–1943.
Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 2,096,015 pages in all carry the name.
Who carried it
People named Hunter,
with a public archive behind them.
-
William Hunter 1718–1783 · physician -
John Hunter 1728–1793 · physician -
Alexander Hunter 1729–1809 · physician -
Anne Hunter 1742–1821 · writer -
William Hunter 1774–1849 · lawyer
Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons (CC0) · 153 lives in all are documented under this name.
Nearby in the index
Surnames next to Hunter.
- Hund 1,442 · U.S. census
- Hunkeler 100 · U.S. census
- Hunold 285 · U.S. census
- Hunsicker 2,477 · U.S. census
- Hunsinger 3,158 · U.S. census
- Hunt 158,421 · U.S. census
- Huntzinger 1,103 · U.S. census
- Hunzinger 103 · U.S. census
- Huon 173 · U.S. census
- Huot 1,679 · U.S. census
- Hupe 357 · U.S. census
- Huppe 249 · U.S. census
When the index is not enough
This page says where Hunter 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.