Carter
English occupational surname for a man who drove a cart, hauling goods and farm produce. The word came from Anglo-Norman caretier.
Carter in 2025
Carter was given to 6,703 babies in the United States in 2025 — 6,024 boys and 679 girls, making it the 53rd most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 495 babies born.
The history of Carter
Carter reached its highest point in 2015, when 11,395 babies were given the name, ranking 32nd that year. Its best-ever ranking was 31st, in 2016.
Across the 145 years of records since 1881, 216,871 babies have been named Carter. Half of them were born before 2013, which places the name's centre of gravity with Generation Alpha.
Carter by decade
| Decade | Babies named Carter | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 100 | 981 |
| 1890s | 134 | 1,138 |
| 1900s | 199 | 1,029 |
| 1910s | 685 | 1,092 |
| 1920s | 901 | 1,285 |
| 1930s | 876 | 1,198 |
| 1940s | 1,378 | 1,074 |
| 1950s | 1,676 | 1,128 |
| 1960s | 1,390 | 1,390 |
| 1970s | 1,457 | 1,297 |
| 1980s | 1,844 | 1,186 |
| 1990s | 10,248 | 339 |
| 2000s | 53,340 | 70 |
| 2010s | 99,669 | 31 |
| 2020s | 42,974 | 42 |
Where Carter is heading
Carter has fallen 41% over the past decade, from 11,395 babies in 2015 to 6,703 in 2025.
Names like Carter
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Carter.