NUTTER
The surname Nutter is of English origin and is regarded primarily as an occupational name. According to medieval sources it was derived from the Old English word hnutu, meaning “nut”. In practice it would have been employed as a nickname for a person who gathered or sold nuts, or for someone who bore a nut‑shaped head or who displayed a particular fondness for nuts.
Alternative derivations have been documented in historical records. A second possible source relates the name to the Anglo‑Saxon term neat (later Middle English nowt), the designation for an ox, and the suffix hierd, meaning herd. In this sense Nutter would have originally denoted a keeper of oxen, a role common in the 13th‑century Yorkshire fine and the 1308 record of Henry le Nauthird in Wakefield. A third possible derivation links the surname to the Old English notere (from Latin notarius), indicating a scribe or clerk; the name appears in the 1293 Staffordshire Assize Rolls as Adam le Notyere and in the 1302 Oseney Abbey Chartulary as Dyonisia Notur.
These variant origins are reflected in the earliest attestations. The name Robert le Notere is recorded in the 1221 Assize Court Rolls of Warwickshire under the reign of King Henry I, the “Frenchman” (1216‑1272). The first recorded spelling that matches the modern form is associated with the 1542 marriage of Helias Nutter and Agnes Preston in Halifax, Yorkshire, and the 1554 christening of a John Nutter at Whalley, Lancashire.
Geographically the surname is most strongly concentrated in the north of England, especially within Lancashire and Yorkshire. While the surname is occasionally found in Cornwall, Devon and other southern counties, its highest density remains in the Lancashire region, particularly the town of Colne. In contemporary times the name is also recorded in the United States, where it appears most frequently in Pennsylvania, New England states such as Massachusetts, and increasingly in the Midwest. Australian records likewise indicate a notable presence, a result of post‑colonial migration.
Heraldic evidence exists for the Nutter family. The granted coat of arms describes a silver shield with a black boar passant between three red crescents, and the crest depicts a gold dolphin naiant. The armorials confirm the existence of the surname’s noble recognisability, albeit on a limited scale which matches the relatively rare occurrence of the name in the population.
Several orthographic variants of the surname have been documented, including Nuttert, Nutterte and Nothert. These forms are known to be interchangeable in open‑air and parish registers, indicating a common phonetic derivation from the same original occupation. The name’s rarity is reflected in the fact that many contemporary bearers are able to trace their ancestors to the same medieval clerkhood or agrarian occupation, though the precise lineage may differ across geographical contexts.
Typical given names associated with the Nutter surname
Male
- Andrew
- Christopher
- David
- James
- John
- Mark
- Matthew
- Michael
- Paul
- Stephen
Female
- Anne
- Elizabeth
- Gillian
- Helen
- Jacqueline
- Joanne
- Lisa
- Margaret
- Mary
- Patricia
- Ruth
- Sarah
- Sharon
- Susan
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 Nutter in...
Braille
⠝⠥⠞⠞⠑⠗
Morse
-...---..-.
Semaphore
There are approximately 1,825 people named Nutter in the UK. That makes it roughly the 4,536th most common surname in Britain. Around 28 in a million people in Britain are named Nutter.
Surname type: Occupational name
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Nutter
- Alice Nutter - Musician and writer
- Tommy Nutter - Fashion designer (1943 to 1992)
- John Nutter - Football player
- Albert Nutter - Cricketer (1913 to 1996)
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.