This street in Short Strand replaced the earlier Altcar Street and is probably named after Altcar near Formby in Lancashire. The reference may be to the villages of Great Altcar and Little Altcar or to the Altcar Estate, once the home of the 2nd Earl of Sefton (1772-1838), a friend of King George IV while he was regent. He founded the Waterloo Cup, a trophy for coursing, and his lands at Altcar were the venue for this event. It would have been familiar to many in Belfast and in Ulster generally as people travelled from far and wide for the Waterloo Cup. Altcar Court is part of a small group of street-names derived from British and Irish peers. This includes Clyde Court, Arran Street / Court (Irish peerage?) and Moira Court.
The derivation of Altcar is as follows: Alt is a river name and the second element is Old Norse kjarr.
This one of several Belfast streets named after places in Lancashire, such as Carnforth Street, Hornby Crescent / Parade / Street, Rusholme Street, Sefton Drive / Park, Bootle Street, Eccles Street, Fleetwood Street, Formby Park, Hesketh Gardens / Park / Road, Rigby Close and Southport Court.
However, the Irish form provided is based on a townland named Altcor in Inver parish, Co. Donegal. Allt an Chairthe means 'ravine of the standing stone'. Cúirt Altcar would also be acceptable as an Irish version of Altcar Court.
Altcar Street features in a report of the Town Improvement Committee carried in the Belfast Weekly News - Saturday 04 February 1882. The street had been properly finished and maintained.