Tarter
An English surname probably formed from a sharper, more pointed nickname or occupational word, though the old evidence is thin.
The #9,281 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 88,037 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The historical sources mention Tarter alongside forms such as Tart and Darter, suggesting a connection with words for something sharp, pointed, or brisk in movement. A plausible route is an English nickname built from a term meaning "quick," "sharp," or "spiky," rather than from a place-name. The exact source is uncertain, and the old dictionaries do not give a firmly established derivation.
History
The surname is rare in the modern United States, which fits an old English name that never became very common. The 19th-century onomastic literature treated it as part of a cluster of similar surnames, but did not settle on a single secure origin. It may have developed locally in England and later spread to North America through migration.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Early surname writers grouped Tarter with names that seemed to share an idea of sharpness or pointedness, a reminder of how often old nicknames became family names.
From the historical record
“Tart, 133, 365. Tartar, 177. Tarter, 177. Tartor, 177. Tash, 81, 414. Tasker, 105. Tasso, 89. Taster.*”
— Suffolk Surnames (3rd ed.)