Surname Slatter - Meaning and Origin

Slatter: What does the surname Slatter mean?

The surname "Slatter" has an ancient origin and is believed to have derived from an Old English profession or trade based name. It is said to have harkened back to the time when Britain was a largely agricultural society, where the majority of the population was involved in farming, crafting, and other primary activities.

The word "Slatter" is believed to have evolved from the Old Norse word "slattur," meaning "a patch of grass," or the Old English term "slohtre" indicating a butcher. Some also suggest that it could be contracted from "Slatterthwaite", a term for a small holding or farm.

Therefore, this name might have originally represented someone who worked as a butcher or was associated with grassland farming.

Just like many other surnames, the spelling of "Slatter" may also have been altered over the centuries due to variations in regional dialects and pronunciation, and it can have different variants like Slatter, Slaughter, and others.

Slatter: Where does the name Slatter come from?

The last name Slatter is not very common today, but is primarily located in New Zealand, Australia, and some parts of the United States and Britain.

In New Zealand, where it originated, the Slatter surname is still very common today among the Māori population. In 2012, a study found that nearly 13,000 people had the Slatter surname. It is widely accepted that this particular surname was derived from an early Māori ancestor with the name of Slatore.

In Australia, the Slatter surname is most commonly found in South Australia, in more rural locations, but it is also quite common in New South Wales.

In the United States, the Slatter surname is primarily found in the north-east and south-west, as well as some concentrations in the midwest. There are less than 2,000 people in the country with the Slatter surname.

In Britain, the surname Slatter is most commonly found in Scotland, particularly in the counties of Lanarkshire and Renfrewshire. As with many other surname variants, Slatter may have originally been a nickname derived from an old English word for a silent person.

The Slatter surname is certainly not as widespread as it was centuries ago, but throughout the English-speaking world, including the countries mentioned, there are enough people with the surname to maintain its presence in the world.

Variations of the surname Slatter

The surname Slatter often derives from the Middle English word ‘slatour’ or ‘slotour’, meaning ‘weaver’.

Variants or other spellings of this name are Slator, Slatorre, Slatour, Slatorres, Slaters, Slaturs, Slauter, Slauters, Slautres, Slauers, Slaures, Schlater and Schlatter.

Surnames with similar origins or derivations of this name are Slater, Slade, Sladek, Slatkin, Slaten, Slayton, Schlaet, Schlatt, Slayter and Slodder.

The surname Slatter is an uncommon one, found in the United States, Canada, Australia, England and Scotland. It is usually found within the records of the twentieth century but there are also occurrences in earlier centuries. It is believed that the surname originated from a combination of old English and Middle German words.

The variants and spellings of Slatter have been found in the historical records particularly in the United States, England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales. It is likely that many of these surnames originated from different regions within these countries.

The spelling of the word can also help to identify the origin of Slatter. The spelling of 'Schlatter' for example is more common in Germany, while the spelling 'Slatour' can be found in France.

In the United States, records with variants and spellings of Slatter are relatively frequent in the early 19th century, in the states of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York. For example, the surname 'Schlater' was found in the records of Adams County, Pennsylvania in 1800.

In the United Kingdom, records of the surname Slatter are scarce prior to the 19th century. In Scotland and Ireland, records of variants of the names are particularly scarce and it is likely that they are of Anglo-Saxon origin.

Overall, the spelling and variants of the surname Slatter can help trace its origin to certain parts of Europe, as well as different nations such as the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Australia, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

Famous people with the name Slatter

• Jeremy Slatter, Australian Member of the Legislative Council from 2011-2019
• David Slatter, Jamaican-American sociologist
• Seán Slattery, Irish Gaelic footballer
• Annemarie Slatter, Australian politician
• Stephen Slatter, English cricketer
• Ethan Slatter, South-African tennis player
• Peter Slatter, New Zealand rugby union player
• Charlotte Slatter, British sprinter
• Emma Slatter, English footballer
• Austin Slatter, American micro-brewer

Other surnames

SlattenSlatton