As the name implies, the "Carters" were in the lucrative business of transporting goods from one place to another. By using their Norman connections, they soon aligned themselves as a necessary link among wealthy merchants. Common words such as "charter" (a contract), "chart" (a table of information), "cartel" (a combination of enterprises), "carte blanche" (a blank document) and "cartographer" (mapmaker) are all derivations of the same business-oriented terminology. Indeed, when the emerging class of lords and merchants forced King John to guarantee them certain rights and privileges, the "Magna Carta" he signed underscored the importance of the term. As such, the "Carters" soon became a wealthy and powerful influence in England, mixing bloodlines with numerous kings and queens.

Interestingly, by the 1500's the name also came to imply many negative connotations in England, as to act "carterly" was to be boorish, rude and unsophisticated. Evidently at least some of the people engaged in the trade of "carting" goods failed to impress their peers.

In Scotland, the equivalent of "Carter" took the form of "McArthur" and "McCarthy." Following the English domination of these regions, some members of these clans changed their name to "Carter," particularly those who migrated south into English land. Other variants of the name, particularly in France, include: Cartier (including Jacques Cartier, the French explorer), Carteret, Charretier, Chartier, Chareter, Charater, Carratier, Carratie and Carretero.