Explore the Family Name Morter
The meaning of Morter
1. Catalan: from morter ‘mortar’ (from Latin mortarium; see 2 below), perhaps applied as a metonymic occupational name for a spicer or a mason, bricklayer, or as a topographic name for someone who lived by a gully. 2. English (Norfolk): nickname from Middle English morter ‘mortar’, either ‘receptacle in which ingredients are pounded with a pestle’ (Old English mortere from Latin mortarium in the sense ‘receptacle for pounding’) or ‘cement-like paste for bonding brickwork’ (Anglo-Norman morter, mortier from Latin mortarium in the sense ‘product of pounding’).
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Morter in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname "Morter" has seen a decrease from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, it was ranked 37,319th and by 2010, it had fallen to 45,412th in popularity, indicating a drop of 21.69%. The count of individuals with this surname also decreased by 16.19% during this decade, from 562 in 2000 to 471 in 2010. This translated into a reduction in the proportion per 100k from 0.21 to 0.16, a change of -23.81%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #37,319 | #45,412 | -21.69% |
| Count | 562 | 471 | -16.19% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.21 | 0.16 | -23.81% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Morter
On the subject of ethnic identity, the Morter surname shows some shifts in distribution between 2000 and 2010 according to Decennial U.S. Census data. The percentage of people with this name identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander decreased by 28.65%, and those identifying as Black saw a decrease of 26.41%. Interestingly, the percentage identifying as Hispanic more than doubled, increasing by 110.93%. Those identifying as White remained the majority, though their percentage dropped slightly by 2.41%. A new category emerged in 2010, with 1.06% of individuals reporting being of two or more races. The percentage of those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native remained constant at 0%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 91.81% | 89.6% | -2.41% |
| Hispanic | 3.02% | 6.37% | 110.93% |
| Black | 2.31% | 1.7% | -26.41% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 1.78% | 1.27% | -28.65% |
| Two or More Races | 0% | 1.06% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |