Souder
An old surname usually linked to a spelling of “souter,” meaning a shoemaker or cobbler.
The #8,342 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 77,809 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Souder is generally treated as a variant spelling of Souter, a surname from the old word for a shoemaker or cobbler. That word goes back to Old English and related medieval forms for someone who made or mended shoes. In some cases the name may also reflect local spelling variation rather than a separate origin.
History
The surname appears in areas where occupational surnames were common and spelling was not yet fixed, so Souder and Souter could overlap in records. In later use, especially in English-speaking countries, the name became established in family lines even when the occupational meaning was no longer remembered.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Many occupational surnames survived long after the original trade vanished from the family.
From the historical record
“truth. Soitders. Souder, Souder ; s for sun, son. Son of Souder. South. Siidh, south. Southcott. Sudh, south ; cote, a cottage. A south-cottage.”
— Family Names from the Irish, Anglo-Saxon, Anglo-Norman and Scotch