Foster
English surname pressed into service as a given name. Several Middle English words fed into it, including ones for a forester, a foster-parent, and a maker of shears.
Foster in 2025
Foster was given to 278 babies in the United States in 2025 — 264 boys and 14 girls, making it the 1,784th most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 11,926 babies born.
The history of Foster
Foster reached its highest point in 2025, when 278 babies were given the name, ranking 1,784th that year. Its best-ever ranking was 594th, in 1882.
Across the 146 years of records since 1880, 13,408 babies have been named Foster. Half of them were born before 1957, which places the name's centre of gravity with the Baby Boomers.
Foster by decade
| Decade | Babies named Foster | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 241 | 594 |
| 1890s | 351 | 697 |
| 1900s | 343 | 796 |
| 1910s | 1,411 | 826 |
| 1920s | 1,660 | 896 |
| 1930s | 1,041 | 1,103 |
| 1940s | 1,070 | 1,200 |
| 1950s | 757 | 1,617 |
| 1960s | 476 | 2,112 |
| 1970s | 359 | 3,173 |
| 1980s | 361 | 3,691 |
| 1990s | 873 | 2,411 |
| 2000s | 1,009 | 2,902 |
| 2010s | 1,988 | 1,947 |
| 2020s | 1,468 | 1,784 |
Where Foster is heading
Foster has risen 35% over the past decade, from 206 babies in 2015 to 278 in 2025.
Names like Foster
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Foster.