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Salter Family History

Salter Surname Meaning

English: occupational name for an extractor or seller of salt (a precious commodity in medieval times) from Middle English salter(e) ‘producer or seller of salt’. There may have been some post-medieval confusion with Souter; see also Saltman.

English: occupational name from Middle English sautreour ‘minstrel player of the psaltery (a stringed musical instrument)’ (Old French sautere ‘psaltery’ Latin psalterium Greek psaltērion from psallein ‘to sound’). Compare Rutter.

German: northern variant of Salzer. Americanized form of French Salois.

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


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Where is the Salter family from?

You can see how Salter families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Salter family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Salter families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 1,247 Salter families living in London. This was about 19% of all the recorded Salter's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Salter families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Salter surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Salter ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Salter. 8% of Salter men worked as a General Labourer and 67% of Salter women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Salter were Gardener and Incapacitated.

View Census Data for Salter | 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 1939

  • General Labourer
    8%
  • Builders Labourer
    4%
  • Bricklayer
    3%
  • Gardener
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    67%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Housewife
    3%
  • Incapacitated
    2%

What Salter family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 213,000 census records available for the last name Salter. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Salter census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Salter

Passenger Lists

There are 19,000 immigration records available for the last name Salter. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Salter immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 21,000 military records available for the last name Salter. For the veterans among your Salter ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Salter military records

You've only scratched the surface of Salter family history

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What is the average Salter lifespan?

Between 1943 and 2004, in the United States, Salter life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1957, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Salter in 1943 was 43, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Salter

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Salter 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.

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