The Salter surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 14,641 people carried this name — #2,462 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 20,200 people counted. That is up 5% from 13,991 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Salter surname

A surname originating as an occupation.

As an English surname, from the noun salter. Sometimes confused with Souter; also compare Saltman.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Salter» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as an occupational name: ‘the salter’ — the first of the origins he gives.

An early record he cites: John le Saltere, Cambridgeshire, 1273 — Hundred Rolls.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 664 · public domain.

In France’s civil register

France’s register of deaths holds 22 people named Salter.

Most of them — 19 — were born outside France. Those born in France came from 3 départements, most often Sarthe.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they were born

Born outside France 19
Sarthe 1
Somme 1
Guadeloupe 1

Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.

Among the farmers of England and Wales, 1880s

Salter was found among the farmers of 2 counties.

It was most frequent in Devon: 28 in every 10,000 farmers there — about 1 in 357. Guppy counted the farmers listed in each county’s directory and recorded a name only where it reached about 7 in every 10,000; where it does not appear, it was rarer than that, not absent.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Per 10,000 farmers, by county

Devon 28
Suffolk 9

H. B. Guppy, «Homes of Family Names in Great Britain» (London, 1890), alphabetical list of English and Welsh names — public domain · farmers in Kelly’s Post Office Directories of the 1880s, per 10,000 farmers in each county.

In Scotland’s registers today

Salter was recorded 10 times in Scotland’s registers of births, marriages and deaths in 2025.

That made it the 1929th most common name in those registers, shared with others on the same count. Each birth counts the child’s surname, each marriage both partners’ and each death the surname of the person who died — a yearly count of registrations, not of the people who live in Scotland.

National Records of Scotland, «Most Common Surnames, 2025» (published 26 May 2026): every surname recorded 10 or more times in the 2025 registers, and the series from 1975 · different spellings are counted separately — © Crown copyright 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

57 families named Salter, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 312 people lived in those households, 5.5 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 5 other spellings. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

North Carolina 13
Massachusetts 11
South Carolina 9
New Hampshire 8
Pennsylvania 5
Connecticut 3
New York 3
Virginia 2
Maine 1
Vermont 1
Maryland 1

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 260 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Salter in American newspapers,
1894–1915.

Newspaper page from The Northwest Worker carrying the name Salter
The Northwest Worker 1915-11-11
Newspaper page from The Pacific Commercial Advertiser carrying the name Salter
The Pacific Commercial Advertiser 1902-12-06
Newspaper page from The Herald carrying the name Salter
The Herald 1894-11-18

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain.

In print

Salter in Australian newspapers,
1810s–2010s.

54,821 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Salter. The most, 9,600, date from the 1930s. New South Wales has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in Tasmania, at 1.7 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 14,230
Victoria 13,694
South Australia 7,688
Queensland 7,034
Western Australia 6,026
Tasmania 5,893
ACT (Canberra) 135
Northern Territory 28

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Salter.

Who carried it

People named Salter,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Norbert Salter d. 1935 · impresario
  • James Salter d. 1718
  • Adam Salter d. 2009
  • Edith Mary Salter d. 1962
  • Betty Salter d. 1786
  • William Salter 1301–1404 · politician

Wikidata (CC0) · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Salter,
in the records of 10 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States1,309 records

1,309 records of the Salter name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 475
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 262
  • Other U.S. records 572
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Harold W. L. Salter

    Born 1917 in Nebraska. Enlisted 1941 at Los Angeles, California; carpenter. U.S. Army Air Forces veteran of World War II; died 2000, buried at Eagle Point National Cemetery, Oregon.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record James William Salter

    Born 1948; from Westbury, New York. U.S. Army; killed in action 1970 in Quang Tri, South Vietnam. Buried at Long Island National Cemetery, New York.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Kopel Salter

    Arrived at New York in 1907 aboard the Badenia from Hamburg, aged 28; farm laborer. From Jedinetz, Russia; bound for New York.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 1,309 records for Salter in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia1,802 records

1,802 records of the Salter name in Australia
  • Tasmanian Names Index 693
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 640
  • Other Australian records 469
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Isaac Salter

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Lady Nugent, sailing from London in 1836. Native of Melksham, Wiltshire. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1850.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Mary Ann Salter

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Emma Eugenia, sailing from London in 1843. Native of Pilton, Somerset. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1848. Married 1848 in Hobart, Tasmania, aged 26.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Harriett Salter

    Arrived in Victoria in 1857 aboard the Winfield Scott, aged 4; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 1,802 records for Salter in Australia.

Counts: Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Canada565 records

565 records of the Salter name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 491
  • City of Winnipeg cemetery records 18
  • Other Canadian records 56
  1. The first page of an emigration file from Gündlingen, Baden, 1883
    Example: German emigration file, 1883
    Emigration record John Salter

    Left New York in 1783 aboard the Joseph, bound for Annapollis Royal, aged 35.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Marie Deloris Salter

    Died 1978, aged 47; buried at Brookside Cemetery, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

    City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg.
  3. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Johanna Teresa Salter

    Buried in 1964 at Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, Nova Scotia, aged 66.

    Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax.

Showing 3 of 565 records for Salter in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Emigration file, Gündlingen, 1883, Landesarchiv Baden-Württemberg, Staatsarchiv Freiburg B 694/1 Nr. 1389 (CC BY 4.0); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0).

United Kingdom56 records

56 records of the Salter name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 33
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 16
  • Other British records 7
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Miriam Sarah Salter

    Died 1993, aged 43; buried at Logie Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland.

    Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Charlotte Salter

    Buried in 1852 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 46.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record William Salter

    Will proved in 1862; of Llandudno, Cheltenham, Carnarvon, Gloucestershire.

    National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0)

Showing 3 of 56 records for Salter in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0) · Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

Netherlands24 records

24 records of the Salter name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch population registers 9
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 8
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 7
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Jooris Salter

    Married in 1604 in Vlissingen; soldier.

    Open Archives, Zeeuws Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Richard Friedrich Salter

    Died 1961 in 's-Gravenhage, aged 53; "handelscorrespondent".

    Open Archives, Haags Gemeentearchief (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Eva Catharina Salter

    Married in 1917 in Haaften.

    Open Archives, Gelders Archief (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 24 records for Salter in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

France8 records

8 records of the Salter name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Rudolf Salter

    Born 1902 in Romania; died 1993 in Paris.

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Margaret Salter

    Born 1937 in the United Kingdom; died 2001 in Barbezieux-Saint-Hilaire (Charente).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 2 of 8 records for Salter in France.

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

New Zealand6 records

6 records of the Salter name in New Zealand Christchurch City cemetery records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Walter Salter

    Died 1888, aged 30; buried at Addington Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Albert Edward Salter

    Died 1912, aged 65; buried at Linwood Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 2 of 6 records for Salter in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

Germany3 records

3 records of the Salter name in Germany Germany's First World War casualty lists, 1914–1919
  1. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Fritz Sälter

    From Aplerbeck, Hörde. Reported dead in the Prussian casualty list of 18 November 1915 (Reserve Jäger Battalion No. 1).

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)

Showing 1 of 3 records for Salter in Germany.

Counts: Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Deutsche Verlustlisten, Prussian list 1116, 18 April 1918 (scan via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0).

Norway3 records

3 records of the Salter name in Norway Norway's 1910 census
  1. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Census record Joseph William Salter

    Census of 1910: Øisteinsgate, Bergen; "sproglærer", born 1865 in England.

    Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO)

Showing 1 of 3 records for Salter in Norway.

Counts: Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

Switzerland1 record

1 record of the Salter name in Switzerland Zürich marriage records, 16th–18th centuries
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Anna Salter

    Married in 1601 in Grossmünster, canton of Zürich; of Säckingen (Deutschland).

    Staatsarchiv des Kantons Zürich, Zürcher Ehedaten (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Staatsarchiv des Kantons Zürich, Zürcher Ehedaten (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Salter.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Salter 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.

See the Salter volume
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