LATTER
The surname Latter is of strictly English origin and can be characterised by two distinct etymological pathways. It is either a topographic name for a person residing near a hill or slope, derived from the Middle English word lattere meaning “hillside” or “slope”, or a nickname for the younger of two individuals bearing the same given name, stemming from the Middle English word latter meaning “later” or “younger”. In either case the name is comparatively uncommon, with the greatest concentration of bearers found in the southern counties of England.
More traditionally, the name is associated with an early occupational role. It derives from the pre-7th century term laett, denoting a lath‑maker – a craftsman skilled in producing the wooden slats that formed the framework for plasterwork. This occupation was vital during a period when most domestic and manor structures were built entirely from lath and plaster. Estimates of the scale of the industry indicate that a modest four‑room cottage might incorporate two miles of lath, whereas a larger manor house could require over fifty miles. Because medieval houses, built without a proper foundation or rot protection, typically survived only thirty to forty years, the demand for lath was high and the craft represented a substantial industry that persisted well into the twentieth century, albeit gradually supplanted by plasterboard during the interwar years.
The surname first appears in documentary evidence in the late twelfth century. In 1199 a record in the county of Dorset cites Thomas le Latier, an early non-hierarchical use of the name, demonstrating that the occupational designation had already achieved a level of prominence. Subsequent archival material from 1327 records a Robert Latter in the manorial registers of the city of Wakefield, which more likely marks the point at which the surname became hereditary, typically when a son or grandson adopted the same trade as his father, or carried on the family name in spite of a change of profession. This early usage places Latter among the first occupational surnames to be recorded in England.
Although the name was once common in regions closely connected with building, its survival to the present day is relatively sparse. The distinctive occupational reference, coupled with its specific geographic origin, has limited its widespread adoption. Today, individuals bearing the surname are primarily identified in the southern part of the country, with genealogical records indicating a persistent though small lineage that can be traced back to the medieval period.
Typical given names associated with the Latter surname
Male
- Anthony
- Brian
- Christopher
- David
- Duncan
- James
- John
- Mark
- Martin
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Richard
Female
- Elizabeth
- Gwen
- Gwendoline
- Helen
- Jean
- Karen
- Louise
- Rebecca
- Rosemary
- Samantha
- Sharon
- Susan
- Tracey
- Victoria
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Latter in...
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There are approximately 1,609 people named Latter in the UK. That makes it roughly the 5,051st most common surname in Britain. Around 25 in a million people in Britain are named Latter.
