Each of the names we are given has a unique story behind it. For some, a name might be passed down from generation to generation as a lasting legacy. For others, a name might just be unique. In the English language, many surnames, even ones that seem quite ordinary, have their own origin stories dating back hundreds of years.
When researching your family story, you will come across your fair share of names. Understanding how these names came to be isn’t just interesting; it can actually lead to new discoveries about your ancestors—their history, location, and even occupation.
What’s in a Surname?
A surname is a family name, often a last name. For much of human history, people were known by one distinct name. As populations grew, surnames emerged to help identify and distinguish people within larger groups. It wasn’t until the last century or two that surnames began to appear in writing, often with variations in spelling these names on documents and official records.
While the acquisition of a last name varies from culture to culture, the origins of surnames can often be broken down into common sources.
| Patronymic | Named after the father, with cultural affixes | Hansen—son of Hans Petrovic—son of Petar MacDonald—son of Donald |
| Matronymic | Named after the mother | Madison—son of Maud Tolliver—from Olivia Marriott—from Mary |
| Occupational | Named after the occupation of the parents | Cooper—barrel maker Miller—grain miller Baker—bread maker |
| Geographical | Named after a place or topographical feature | York—from the city of York Rivers—living near rivers Hill—living near or on a hill |
| Descriptive | Named after a physical characteristic or personality trait | Armstrong—strong-armed Little—short stature Brown—brown hair or skin |
| Natural | Named after animals, plants, or elements | Stone—from the element Fox—from the animal Birch—from the plant |
If you would like to learn more about surname research or perhaps look into your own last name and understand its origin, FamilySearch resources are available for you to browse. You can also explore what your ancestor's occupation might have been.
Life as a Carter
The surname Carter can be considered an occupational surname. In medieval England (and other regions of the world), long before the invention of the automobile or steam engine, carters performed necessary tasks. A carter was someone who used livestock and carts to transport goods essential for trade and daily life.
Carters moved a variety of products:
- Agricultural products, such as grain, hay, fruits, and vegetables
- Building materials, such as stone, brick, timber, and coal
- Household items, such as tools, cloth, furniture, and barrels
Because the work of a carter required travel from town to town, carters became familiar with the roads and towns. They lived during a time when most people remained in one area, but carters were constantly in transit. They were also responsible to care for their animals and equipment. When they were not journeying from town to town, they cared for their horses by feeding and watering them, horseshoeing the animals, and providing appropriate sleeping accommodations.
This work could prove difficult and physically demanding. While performing their job, carters would be responsible for loading and unloading the products they were transporting. Sometimes a carter’s wife worked alongside him. Most of these women had a trade of their own, such as laundry, sewing, or craftwork. Together, the pair would be able to combine their skills to transport and sell the goods using the cart and horse.
While carters played a vital role in the economy of medieval England, providing skilled labor to their communities, they were also considered part of the middle or lower class. According to documents of their transports, many carters of the time were either self-employed or employed by merchants. Their wages were well below the average at the time. They often received grain as a form of payment for their work. Scholars estimate that the average carter might have earned around 3 shillings a month. In today’s world, that could be equal to around $1,800 USD a month.
Related Surnames
Before the use of surnames in England, it was common to identify people by their profession. Smith, Baker, and Miller are examples of common modern-day last names that may have originated in medieval times. In a given town, if a man named John worked as a carter, he might be known as “John the carter.” The name might be passed down to John’s children, along with his trade. Eventually the word the might be dropped, leaving a given name and a surname. Over time, the term carter would become a name instead of just an occupation.
This pattern wasn’t unique to England. Many surnames can be traced in similar patterns across languages. In many countries, the people who drove carts for trade were important for the function of their society. As in medieval England, the widely accepted term for "carter" or "cart driver" eventually became a family name. Since then, those names have become many similar surnames:
| Language | Surname | Meaning |
| French | Cartier Chartier | From the Old French word charretier, meaning "a person who drives or builds a cart" |
| Spanish | Carretero Carrero | From the Spanish word carretero, meaning "cart driver" |
| Italian | Carrettiere Carraro | From the Latin word carrarius, meaning "one who drives a cart or wagon" |
| Portuguese | Carreiro Carreira | Relating to "cart driver" or "carrier" |
| German | Fuhrmann Karrer Karman | Occupational surname meaning "driver" or "cart man" |
| Czech | Furmanek | Related to "cart man" or "coachman" |
| Polish | Biga Furman | Referring to a type of carriage or cart, a driver |
The surname Carter appears with alternate spellings and added prefixes and suffixes. Here is a list of some of the variants of the name:
- Carrier
- Cartman
- Charman
- Chartier
- Karter
- McCarter
Finding Carters in Family Records
If you have a Carter in your family tree, that person might descend from someone who worked and lived as a carter. Of course, surnames alone don’t necessarily reflect current employment status, as they were passed down through generations. But occupational surnames can give you some insight into where your ancestors came from and what their lives might have looked like.
Carter family members
Earlier records
Considering that the surname Carter has existed for centuries, you may look in your own family tree and find when and where they lived. Parish registers, estate records, and tax lists may be sources of both names and occupations.
Later records
By the 19th and 20th centuries, records often listed a person's occupation. This information can help you learn about whether the surname Carter was still being used to mean “cart driver” at that time. When searching historical records on FamilySearch.org, you can look at United States census records, which often list the person's occupation. To search for a specific ancestor, you will need to get a free FamilySearch account, if you don't already have one. You can also check newspapers in your search.
If a Carter appears in your family tree, the name may be a reflection of a different time of life and may demonstrate how both lifestyles and names change over time.
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