Explore the Family Name Souter
The meaning of Souter
1. English: occupational name from Middle English souter(e), suter(e) ‘shoemaker, cobbler’ (Old English sūtere, from Latin sūtor, an agent derivative of suere ‘to sew’). In early Modern English, pronunciation of the name would regularly develop from /su:ter/ to /sautə(r)/ (rhyming with outer), or to /sutə(r)/, as in Sutter. In Scots, however, it remained unchanged, with the spelling -ou- representing /u/. In parts of southern England it seems also to have remained as /u:/; see Suter (2). 2. Americanized form of German Sauter, a cognate of 1 above. 3. Flemish (De Souter): occupational name for a producer or seller of salt, from an agent derivative of Middle Dutch sout ‘salt’.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Souter in the United States?
Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname "Souter" has seen a slight decline between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Souter was ranked as the 21,124th most popular surname, but by 2010 it had slipped to the 23,785th position - a 12.6% decrease. The number of people carrying the Souter name dropped by 8.2% during this period, from 1,158 in 2000 to 1,063 in 2010. Concurrently, proportion per 100,000 people also declined by 16.28%, suggesting that the name's prevalence is dwindling.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #21,124 | #23,785 | -12.6% |
| Count | 1,158 | 1,063 | -8.2% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.43 | 0.36 | -16.28% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Souter
Regarding ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows some changes among those with the surname Souter between 2000 and 2010. While the majority of Souters identified as White in both years (84.37% in 2000 and 81.84% in 2010), there was a slight decrease of 3%. There were no individuals identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander or of two or more races in 2000, but by 2010 these groups represented 0.94% and 1.13% of Souters respectively. The Hispanic population within the Souter surname increased significantly by 73.99%, reaching 3.01% in 2010. The percentage of Black individuals rose slightly from 12.18% to 12.61%. However, the proportion of American Indian and Alaskan Native decreased by 45.35% over the decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 84.37% | 81.84% | -3% |
| Black | 12.18% | 12.61% | 3.53% |
| Hispanic | 1.73% | 3.01% | 73.99% |
| Two or More Races | 0% | 1.13% | 0% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0.94% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.86% | 0.47% | -45.35% |