History of your Surname
Get access to Carter family records.Start a free trial

Carter Family History

Carter Name Meaning

English: occupational name for a transporter of goods from Middle English carter(e) ‘carter’ (Anglo-Norman French car(e)tier Old French charetier medieval Latin carettarius carettator). The Old French word coalesced with the earlier Middle English word cart(e) ‘cart’ which is from either Old Norse kartr or Old English cræt both of which like the Late Latin word were probably derived from Celtic. This surname is also very common among African Americans. Irish: shortened form of McCarter . Americanized form of German Karter ‘carder’. Americanized form (translation into English) of French Cartier .

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Carver, Cater, Carder, Canter, Harker, Easter, Barter, Carton, Marter

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Black & white image of a young woman scientist

Where is the Carter family from?

You can see how Carter families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Carter family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Carter families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 447 Carter families living in Virginia. This was about 11% of all the recorded Carter's in USA. Virginia had the highest population of Carter families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Carter surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
  • 1840
  • 1880
  • 1920
Mapbox
© Mapbox © OpenStreetMap Improve this map

What did your Carter ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Maid were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Carter. 19% of Carter men worked as a Laborer and 10% of Carter women worked as a Maid. Some less common occupations for Americans named Carter were Truck Driver and Housewife. .

View Census Data for Carter | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Laborer
    19%
  • Farmer
    17%
  • Salesman
    4%
  • Truck Driver
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Maid
    10%
  • Cook
    6%
  • Housekeeper
    6%
  • Housewife
    5%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Carter family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 2 million census records available for the last name Carter. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Carter census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Carter

Passenger Lists

There are 213,000 immigration records available for the last name Carter. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Carter immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 350,000 military records available for the last name Carter. For the veterans among your Carter ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Carter military records

You've only scratched the surface of Carter family history

Discover More

What is the average Carter lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Carter life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1941, and highest in 2001. The average life expectancy for Carter in 1940 was 38, and 72 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Carter

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Carter family tree

Explore Your Tree

Browse profiles of historical people with the Carter last name

Search for another surname
Enter last name/surname
Start a 14-Day Free Trial