Contents [hide]

Coulter History Etymology Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Australia New Zealand West Indies

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Suggested Reading Sources

Coulter History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland

Etymology of Coulter

What does the name Coulter mean?

The forbears of the name Coulter are thought to be of the ancient Scottish kingdom of Dalriada. The name indicates that the first bearer lived in or near Coulter in Lanarkshire or Aberdeenshire, in Scotland. The surname Coulter is derived from the Gaelic phrase, cúl tir, which means, black land. Coulter is therefore a local surname, of which there are many types. For instance, topographic surnames could be given to a person who lived beside any physical feature, such as a hill, stream, church or type of tree. Habitation names form the other broad category of surnames that were derived from place-names. They were derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads. Other local names are derived from the names of houses, manors, estates, regions, and entire counties. In this case, the surname is both topographical, in that it comes from the phrase, black land, and local in the general sense, since it comes from the place-name, Coulter.

Early Origins of the Coulter family

The surname Coulter was first found in Lanarkshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Lannraig) a former county in the central Strathclyde region of Scotland, now divided into the Council Areas of North Lanarkshire, South Lanarkshire, and the City of Glasgow, where they held a family seat from very early times.

Some of the first records include: Richard of Culter, sheriff of Lanark, appears in record in 1226; and Alexander de Cultre witnessed a grant by Maldoueny, earl of Lennox to Stephen de Blantyr, c. 1248. "Andrew de Cultyr who held land in Aberdeen in 1281 doubtless derived his name from the lands of Coulter in Aberdeenshire." 1

Early History of the Coulter family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Coulter research. Another 108 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1226, 1281, 1686, 1810 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Coulter History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Coulter Spelling Variations

Medieval spelling was at best an intuitive process, and translation between Gaelic and English was no more effective. These factors caused an enormous number of spelling variations in Dalriadan names. In fact, it was not uncommon to see a father and son who spelled their name differently. Over the years, Coulter has been spelled Coulter, Colter, Coalter, Coultere, Coultar, Coultur, Coltar, Coltur, Coltir, Coltire and many more.

Early Notables of the Coulter family

More information is included under the topic Early Coulter Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Coulter Ranking

In the United States, the name Coulter is the 1,586^th most popular surname with an estimated 19,896 people with that name. 2 However, in New Zealand, the name Coulter is ranked the 922^nd most popular surname with an estimated 804 people with that name. 3

Migration of the Coulter family to Ireland

Some of the Coulter family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 75 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Coulter migration to the United States +

Many settled along the east coast of what would become the United States and Canada. As the American War of Independence broke out, those who remained loyal to the crown went north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. The ancestors of all of these hardy Dalriadan-Scottish settlers began to recover their collective history in the 20th century with the advent of the vibrant culture fostered by highland games and Clan societies in North America. Highland games, clan societies, and other organizations generated much renewed interest in Scottish heritage in the 20th century. The Coulter were among the earliest of the Scottish settlers as immigration passenger lists have shown:

Coulter Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Mary Coulter, who arrived in Virginia in 1658 4

Coulter Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Sarah Coulter, who landed in New York, NY in 1811 4
Hugh and Ann Coulter, who settled in New York State in 1811
Ann Coulter, who landed in New York, NY in 1811 4
Hugh Coulter, who landed in New York, NY in 1811 4
John Coulter, who arrived in New York, NY in 1816 4
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Coulter migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Coulter Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mr. Coulter, who landed in Quebec in 1784
William Coulter, who landed in Quebec in 1784

Coulter Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

John Coulter, aged 20, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Perseus" in 1834
Alice Coulter, aged 18, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Perseus" in 1834
Miss. Ann Coulter, aged 2 who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Wolfville" departing 25th April 1847 from Sligo, Ireland; the ship arrived on 10th June 1847 but she died on board 5

Coulter migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Coulter Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Miss Margaret Coulter, (b. 1774), aged 44, Irish servant who was convicted in County Down, Ireland for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Elizabeth" on 26th July 1818, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, she died in 1863 6
Mr. James Coulter, (b. 1801), aged 27, English convict who was convicted in Kent, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Eliza" on 25th June 1828, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died aboard the ship in 1828 7
Mr. Edwin Coulter, (b. 1817), aged 19 who was convicted in Canterbury, Kent, England for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Bengal Merchant" on 4th August 1836, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1882 8
Richard Coulter, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Charles Kerr" in 1840 9
Thomas Coulter, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Charles Kerr" in 1840 9
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Coulter migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Coulter Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Miss Mary Ann Coulter, (b. 1862), aged Infant, Scottish settler from Ayrshire travelling from London aboard the ship "Zealandia" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 23rd May 1862 10
Mr. Henry Coulter, (b. 1832), aged 30, Scottish farm labourer from Ayrshire travelling from London aboard the ship "Zealandia" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 23rd May 1862 10
Mrs. Mary Coulter, (b. 1837), aged 25, Scottish settler from Ayrshire travelling from London aboard the ship "Zealandia" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 23rd May 1862 10
Mary Coulter, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Empress" in 1865
Mr. Thomas Coulter, British settler travelling from London, UK with 1 child aboard the ship "Assaye" arriving in Auckland, North Island, New Zealand on 26th December 1874 11
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Coulter (post 1700) +

Richard Coulter Sr. (1827-1908), American Civil War Colonel and brevet brigadier general in the Union Army
David Coulter, American politician, Democratic Party politician and Mayor of Ferndale, Michigan (2011-)
David Coulter (b. 1949), American banker, director of Warburg Pincus
Allen Coulter, American television and film director from College Station, Texas
Bridgid Coulter (b. 1978), American actress from Pittsfield, Massachusetts, known for Diary of a Hitman (2008), Bent (2004) and The Coffee Thief (2007)
Ellis Merton Coulter (1890-1981), American historian of the South
Richard Coulter Jr. (1870-1955), American World War I general, a businessman, a professional football player
Lieutenant General John Breitling Coulter (1891-1983), American commander of the 7th Infantry Division during the Korean war
Raymond "Ray" Orville Coulter (1897-1965), American sport shooter
William Alexander Coulter (1849-1936), American painter of marine subjects
... (Another 26 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Coulter family +

Flight 191

S Coulter (d. 1979), American passenger from Los Angeles, California, USA, who flew aboard American Airlines Flight 191 and died in the crash 12

Hillcrest Coal Mine

Mr. Robert Coulter (1876-1914), Scottish Miner from Ayr, Scotland, United Kingdom who worked in the Hillcrest Coal Mine, Alberta, Canada and died in the mine collapse 13
Mr. Fred C Coulter (1883-1914), Scottish Company Man from Dalrymple, Ayr, Scotland, United Kingdom who worked in the Hillcrest Coal Mine, Alberta, Canada and died in the mine collapse 13

Lady of the Lake

Miss Maria Coulter (b. 1815), Irish traveller from Coleraine, Northern Ireland who sailed aboard the "Lady of the Lake" from Greenock, Scotland on 8th April 1833 to Quebec, Canada when the ship hit ice and sunk of the coast of Newfoundland on the 11th May 1833 and she died in the sinking

USS Arizona

Mr. Arthur Lee Coulter, American Seaman First Class from Oklahoma, USA working aboard the ship "USS Arizona" when she sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7th December 1941, he died in the sinking 14

Sources +

Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 71)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 3rd March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elizabeth
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 17th February 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eliza
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 7th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bengal-merchant
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) CHARLES KERR 1840. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1840CharlesKerr.htm
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
Flight 191's Victims - latimes. (Retrieved 2014, April 16) . Retrieved from http://articles.latimes.com/1985-08-04/news/mn-4349_1_fort-lauderdale-area
List Of Miners - Hillcrest Mine Disaster Data. (Retrieved 2014, June 24) . Retrieved from http://www.hillcrestminedisaster.com/data/index.php?title=List_Of_Miners
Pearl Harbour: USS Arizona Casualties List Pearl Harbour December 7, 1941. (Retrieved 2018, July 31st). Retrieved from http://pearl-harbor.com/arizona/casualtylist.html