Hunter
An English occupational surname for someone who hunted, whether for game or on another's behalf. It moved into use as a given name in the twentieth century.
Hunter in 2025
Hunter was given to 3,084 babies in the United States in 2025 — 2,761 boys and 323 girls, making it the 203rd most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 1,075 babies born.
The history of Hunter
Hunter reached its highest point in 2000, when 13,252 babies were given the name, ranking 45th that year.
Across the 146 years of records since 1880, 276,622 babies have been named Hunter. Half of them were born before 2005, which places the name's centre of gravity with Generation Z.
Hunter by decade
| Decade | Babies named Hunter | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 84 | 1,030 |
| 1890s | 101 | 1,363 |
| 1900s | 131 | 1,200 |
| 1910s | 419 | 1,627 |
| 1920s | 581 | 1,645 |
| 1930s | 393 | 1,799 |
| 1940s | 470 | 1,854 |
| 1950s | 581 | 1,982 |
| 1960s | 769 | 1,817 |
| 1970s | 1,263 | 1,347 |
| 1980s | 6,055 | 448 |
| 1990s | 66,137 | 48 |
| 2000s | 98,430 | 45 |
| 2010s | 77,857 | 48 |
| 2020s | 23,351 | 104 |
Where Hunter is heading
Hunter has fallen 65% over the past decade, from 8,723 babies in 2015 to 3,084 in 2025.
Names like Hunter
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Hunter.