Carter Family History

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Carter Name Meaning

English: occupational name for a transporter of goods, Middle English cartere, from an agent derivative of Middle English cart(e) or from Anglo-Norman French car(e)tier, a derivative of Old French caret (see Cartier). 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 originally derived from Celtic. Northern Irish: reduced form of McCarter.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press


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

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Carter Family Origin

Where is the Carter family from?

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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 the USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 1,902 Carter families living in Ontario. This was about 49% of all the recorded Carter's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Carter families in 1911.
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.

View Census Data for Carter

Carter Family Occupations

What did your Carter ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Stenographer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the CA named Carter. 24% of Carter men worked as a Farmer and 11% of Carter women worked as a Stenographer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Carter were Carpenter and Income

View Census data for Carter | Data not to scale

Top Male Occupations in 1921

  • Farmer
    24%
  • Labourer
    8%
  • Laborer
    5%
  • Carpenter
    4%

Top Female Occupations in 1921

  • Stenographer
    11%
  • Housekeeper
    8%
  • Clerk
    6%
  • Income
    6%

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

Carter Historical Records

What Carter family records will you find?

Census Record

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 1881 Canadian census records for Carter

Passenger List

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

View all Carter immigration records

Draft Card

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.

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Carter Life Expectancy

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

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Carter ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

Famous Carter Family Ancestors

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