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Salter Surname Meaning & Origin

What the Salter last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.

Order your pack and our heraldry team researches and paints the Salter coat of arms for you.

Meaning and origin of the Salter last name

Meaning of the Salter last name: salt maker or psaltery player. Salter is an English surname for a maker or seller of salt, from Old English sealt, or for a player of the psaltery, a medieval stringed instrument. It is found in southern England. The Salter family of West Bromwich founded a scales company. The last name is common in Devon.

Arms associated with the Salter name

Coats of arms associated with the Salter surname follow English heraldry, each set out in a short blazon.

Get your full Salter family history

This is only a glimpse of the Salter story. The full Salter history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Salter coat of arms. Get the full Salter report.

Salter name FAQ

What does the Salter name mean?

Salt maker or psaltery player. Common variants include Saltar.

Where does the Salter surname come from?

It originates in England, and is also found in the United States, Canada and Australia.

Is there a Salter coat of arms?

Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Salter coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.

Sources: Reaney & Wilson, Dictionary of English Surnames; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).