The Cater name was brought into England in the wake of the Norman Conquest. The names introduced into Britain by the Normans are nearly all territorial in origin. The followers of William the Conqueror included some of them brought the names of their castles and villages in Normandy with them, but others were adventurers possessing no family or territorial names of their own. Those of them who acquired lands in England were called by their manors, while others took the name of the offices they held or the military titles given to them, and sometimes, a younger son of a Norman landowner, on receiving a grant of land in his new home dropped his paternal name and adopted that of his newly acquired property.

Early records of the name mention William le Catur who was documented in the year 1273 in the County of Essex and Bernard le Acatour was documented in the year 1300 in County Somerset. Thomas Cater was documented in County Somerset, during the reign of Edward III of England. William Katerer of Yorkshire was listed in the Yorkshire Poll Tax of 1379. Henry Cater and Joan Powlter were married at St. James, Clerkenwell, London in the year 1569 .

The associated arms are recorded in Sir Bernard Burke's General Armoury.