cartwright

Cartwright is an English surname of occupational origin, from the Middle English cart and wright, meaning a maker or repairer of carts. Historically it described a craftsman in the wheelwright family who built carts and wagons. The spelling has various forms, and the name appears in medieval records in England, finally establishing itself as a hereditary surname in many regions. As with other occupational surnames, its bearers dispersed with English migration to other lands, resulting in modern distribution across the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, and the United States.

Cartwright also designates place names. There are several places named Cartwright in North America, including Cartwright, Alaska, a small city on the Arctic Coastal Plain, and Cartwright, Newfoundland and Labrador, a town on the Avalon Peninsula. There are other geographic uses in Canada and the United States, often reflecting settlement patterns or local trade histories.

In contemporary usage, Cartwright appears as a surname and as a toponym in maps and postal designations. The name is embedded in local histories of multiple communities and can be found in genealogical and demographic records.