Explore the Family Name Halter
The meaning of Halter
1. German: topographic name for someone who lived by a meadow or pastureland, from Middle High German halte ‘pasture’ + the suffix -er denoting an inhabitant. 2. South German and Jewish (Ashkenazic): from Middle High German haltære ‘keeper, shepherd’, German Halter. 3. English: occupational name for a maker of halters for horses and cattle, Middle English haltrere (from Old English hælftre ‘halter’). 4. Dutch: perhaps a metonymic occupational name as in the English sense 3 above or a topographic name as in the German sense 1 above.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Halter in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Halter saw a slight drop in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it ranked 7,333 in popularity with 4,185 individuals carrying the name. That number rose to 4,349 by 2010, yet its rank fell slightly to 7,633. This translates to a 3.92% increase in the count of people with the Halter surname, but a 4.09% decrease in ranking. The proportion per 100k also declined by 5.16%, indicating that the Halter surname became slightly less common in the overall population.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #7,333 | #7,633 | -4.09% |
| Count | 4,185 | 4,349 | 3.92% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.55 | 1.47 | -5.16% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Halter
In terms of ethnicity, data from the Decennial U.S. Census shows some changes within the Halter surname bearers between 2000 and 2010. The percentage of Asian/Pacific Islanders with this surname more than doubled, jumping from 0.36% in 2000 to 0.80% in 2010. Those identifying as two or more races increased from 0.79% to 1.08%, while the Hispanic representation also rose from 1.12% to 1.77%. However, the majority remained overwhelmingly White, at 96.63% in 2000 and 95.36% in 2010, despite a small decrease. The proportion of Black individuals and American Indian and Alaskan Natives saw minimal changes.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 96.63% | 95.36% | -1.31% |
| Hispanic | 1.12% | 1.77% | 58.04% |
| Two or More Races | 0.79% | 1.08% | 36.71% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.36% | 0.8% | 122.22% |
| Black | 0.81% | 0.8% | -1.23% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.29% | 0.18% | -37.93% |
Halter ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Halter is French & German, which comprises 41.3% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (30.3%) and Eastern European (9.2%). Additional ancestries include Ashkenazi Jewish, Scandinavian, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Japanese.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| French & German | 41.3% |
| British & Irish | 30.3% |
| Eastern European | 9.2% |
| Other | 19.1% |
Possible origins of the surname Halter
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Halter have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 74.30% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 74.30% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 74.30% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 73.40% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 73.40% |
What Halter haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Halter is I-CTS6433, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup I-CTS6433 is descended from haplogroup I-M170. Other common haplogroups include R-Z156 and I-Y7477, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Rahn, Hoch, High, Robb, Klaus, Collier, Schott, Whitfield, Scheer, Small.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Halter surname are: H1, H, J1. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins I-M170Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Halter have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Halter" Surname 45.0%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Halter" Surname 29.6%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Halter" Surname 12.2%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Halter" Surname 14.8%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Halter?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Halter are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition