Carter
As an English name, from the occupation carter.
Every Carter since 1881 — 216,871 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Carter
Carter is a top-50 name for boys in the United States, ranked #45 in 2025 with 6,024 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.
Since 1881, 216,871 American babies have been named Carter. Its peak came in 2015, when 11,395 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 2010s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Carter stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Carter year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 679 | #454 | 6,024 | #45 |
| 2024 | 605 | #508 | 6,289 | #46 |
| 2023 | 594 | #510 | 5,878 | #48 |
| 2022 | 553 | #550 | 6,361 | #47 |
| 2021 | 622 | #501 | 7,205 | #39 |
| 2020 | 587 | #515 | 7,577 | #33 |
| 2019 | 611 | #514 | 8,682 | #30 |
| 2018 | 655 | #479 | 9,385 | #24 |
| 2017 | 602 | #520 | 9,833 | #24 |
| 2016 | 703 | #457 | 10,220 | #26 |
| 2015 | 581 | #539 | 10,814 | #24 |
| 2014 | 355 | #790 | 10,691 | #27 |
| 2013 | 300 | #861 | 9,590 | #33 |
| 2012 | 246 | #1,031 | 9,274 | #36 |
| 2011 | 195 | #1,229 | 8,608 | #41 |
| 2010 | 160 | #1,432 | 8,164 | #48 |
| 2009 | 119 | #1,811 | 8,173 | #50 |
| 2008 | 104 | #2,009 | 7,069 | #65 |
| 2007 | 102 | #2,004 | 6,101 | #80 |
| 2006 | 123 | #1,703 | 6,433 | #75 |
| 2005 | 120 | #1,657 | 5,899 | #77 |
| 2004 | 114 | #1,701 | 5,009 | #89 |
| 2003 | 101 | #1,833 | 4,171 | #102 |
| 2002 | 66 | #2,421 | 3,480 | #108 |
| 2001 | 80 | #2,077 | 3,435 | #111 |
| 2000 | 91 | #1,872 | 2,550 | #152 |
| 1995 | 59 | #2,252 | 919 | #286 |
| 1990 | 32 | #3,375 | 334 | #549 |
| 1985 | 24 | #3,528 | 175 | #670 |
| 1980 | 8 | #7,519 | 93 | #924 |
| 1975 | 10 | #5,584 | 162 | #637 |
| 1970 | 9 | #5,455 | 156 | #655 |
| 1965 | 8 | #4,882 | 113 | #698 |
| 1960 | — | — | 139 | #665 |
| 1955 | 9 | #4,113 | 149 | #607 |
| 1950 | 7 | #4,373 | 170 | #515 |
| 1945 | — | — | 124 | #537 |
| 1940 | 6 | #3,930 | 88 | #635 |
| 1935 | — | — | 101 | #576 |
| 1930 | — | — | 62 | #824 |
| 1925 | 6 | #4,516 | 89 | #679 |
| 1920 | 5 | #5,097 | 98 | #636 |
| 1915 | — | — | 78 | #658 |
| 1910 | — | — | 26 | #557 |
| 1905 | — | — | 16 | #595 |
| 1900 | — | — | 31 | #403 |
| 1895 | — | — | 9 | #746 |
| 1890 | — | — | 8 | #757 |
| 1885 | — | — | 10 | #613 |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
Famous people named Carter
- Carter Burwell Composer · b. 1954
- Carter Braxton Politician · 1736–1797
- Carter Glass Politician · 1858–1946
- Carter Bays Writer · b. 1975
- Carter Cruise Pornographic actor · b. 1991
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Carter mean?
As an English name, from the occupation carter.
How popular is the name Carter in 2025?
Carter ranked #45 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 6,024 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Carter?
216,871 babies have been named Carter in the United States since 1881, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Carter most popular?
Carter peaked in 2015, when 11,395 newborns received the name.
Is Carter a boy or girl name?
Carter is overwhelmingly a boy's name — 95% of babies with the name.
Is the name Carter rising or falling?
Carter is declining — less popular now than a decade ago.
Who are famous people named Carter?
Well-known people named Carter include Carter Burwell (composer), Carter Braxton (politician), Carter Glass (politician).