Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 2025

Foster

Meaning English surname, reduced from Forster Gender Boy · 2% girls Rank 2025 #901 Trend ↑ Rising 14%

English surname, reduced from Forster; also from the noun foster.

Rank 2025
#901
among boys · ↑177 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
278
named Foster · +25% vs 2024
How common
1 in 6,470
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2025
278 babies
All-time total
13,408
#1,043 all-time among boys
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Foster popularity over time

13,408 babies have been named Foster since 1880, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.10.20.30.418801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
BoysGirls

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – 241 241 24 – #289
1890s – 351 351 35 +46% #280
1900s – 343 343 34 -2% #292
1910s 5 1,406 1,411 141 +311% #353
1920s 16 1,644 1,660 166 +18% #418
1930s – 1,041 1,041 104 -37% #534
1940s 5 1,065 1,070 107 +3% #577
1950s – 757 757 76 -29% #722
1960s – 476 476 48 -37% #887
1970s – 359 359 36 -25% #1,304
1980s – 361 361 36 +1% #1,529
1990s 24 849 873 87 +142% #1,082
2000s 28 981 1,009 101 +16% #1,274
2010s 94 1,894 1,988 199 +97% #937
2020s (to 2025) 114 1,354 1,468 245 +23% #901

Where Foster is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 boys Implied rank
2026 271 0.16 outside top 500
2027 278 0.16 outside top 500
2028 283 0.17 outside top 500
2029 288 0.17 outside top 500
2030 292 0.17 outside top 500

Where Foster is most popular

Boys named Foster per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.131 per 1,000. Strongest in Alabama, Louisiana, and Utah.

Vs national average
well below below near national above well above no data

All 50 states and DC, sorted by rate. Counts are boys named Foster born 2021–2025; the per-1,000 rate makes states of different sizes comparable, and the last column shows each state against the national average.

State Boys 2021–2025 Per 1,000 vs national
Alabama 44 0.402 +208%
Louisiana 39 0.381 +192%
Utah 36 0.377 +189%
Indiana 59 0.368 +182%
South Dakota 6 0.322 +147%
Tennessee 51 0.283 +116%
Mississippi 16 0.282 +116%
Nebraska 11 0.253 +94%
Oklahoma 21 0.237 +82%
Michigan 47 0.229 +76%
Kentucky 23 0.229 +75%
Arkansas 14 0.221 +69%
Ohio 58 0.219 +68%
South Carolina 22 0.213 +63%
North Carolina 51 0.200 +53%
Georgia 46 0.182 +39%
Idaho 6 0.147 +12%
Kansas 10 0.146 +12%
Iowa 10 0.145 +11%
Pennsylvania 31 0.117 -11%
Texas 100 0.113 -13%
Colorado 14 0.108 -17%
Illinois 26 0.102 -22%
Missouri 13 0.094 -28%
Virginia 15 0.079 -39%
Washington 12 0.073 -44%
Florida 32 0.068 -48%
Wisconsin 7 0.059 -55%
Massachusetts 7 0.051 -61%
Minnesota 6 0.049 -63%
California 39 0.043 -67%
New York 15 0.035 -73%
Alaska – – –
Arizona – – –
Connecticut – – –
District of Columbia – – –
Delaware – – –
Hawaii – – –
Maryland – – –
Maine – – –
Montana – – –
North Dakota – – –
New Hampshire – – –
New Jersey – – –
New Mexico – – –
Nevada – – –
Oregon – – –
Rhode Island – – –
Vermont – – –
West Virginia – – –
Wyoming – – –

State counts come from the Social Security Administration's state files, which omit any state-year with fewer than five babies of a name, so small states can undercount slightly.

The story of Foster

Foster is uncommon for boys in the United States, ranked #901 in 2025 with 264 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 13,408 American babies have been named Foster. Its peak came in 2025, when 278 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2020s.

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 Foster stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Foster?

The median living Foster is about 19 years old; half are between 8 and 48. An estimated 7,600 people named Foster are alive in the United States today.

median 19 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Foster 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 14 #7,611 264 #901
2024 21 #5,855 202 #1,078
2023 25 #5,170 232 #966
2022 16 #7,086 213 #1,038
2021 17 #6,787 217 #1,011
2020 21 #5,720 226 #962
2019 15 #7,479 227 #945
2018 12 #8,799 184 #1,077
2017 16 #7,204 223 #937
2016 11 #9,629 214 #964
2015 10 #10,380 196 #1,033
2014 11 #9,751 209 #991
2013 9 #11,312 213 #937
2012 5 #17,753 200 #994
2011 – – 102 #1,550
2010 5 #17,901 126 #1,353
2009 – – 116 #1,446
2008 5 #18,438 87 #1,745
2007 – – 93 #1,653
2006 11 #10,136 99 #1,521
2005 – – 84 #1,622
2004 5 #16,974 111 #1,329
2003 – – 95 #1,403
2002 – – 107 #1,274
2001 – – 91 #1,387
2000 7 #12,216 98 #1,318
1995 5 #14,173 109 #1,082
1990 – – 50 #1,640
1985 – – 43 #1,529
1980 – – 31 #1,827
1975 – – 42 #1,349
1970 – – 41 #1,304
1965 – – 48 #1,073
1960 – – 53 #1,061
1955 – – 73 #866
1950 – – 90 #722
1945 – – 106 #586
1940 – – 90 #627
1935 – – 117 #534
1930 – – 121 #548
1925 5 #5,277 159 #482
1920 – – 201 #418
1915 – – 166 #419
1910 – – 42 #417
1905 – – 31 #375
1900 – – 29 #420
1895 – – 27 #362
1890 – – 23 #373
1885 – – 25 #348
1880 – – 16 #448

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Foster, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Foster?

The median living Foster is about 19 years old. Half of all living Fosters are between 8 and 48 years old.

How many people named Foster are alive today?

An estimated 7,600 people named Foster are alive in the United States, based on 13,408 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Foster mean?

English surname, reduced from Forster; also from the noun foster.

How popular is the name Foster in 2025?

Foster ranked #901 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 264 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Foster?

13,408 babies have been named Foster in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Foster most popular?

Foster peaked in 2025, when 278 newborns received the name.

Is Foster a boy or girl name?

Foster is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 98% of babies with the name.

Is the name Foster rising or falling?

Foster is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Will Foster become more popular?

Foster is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 292 boys named Foster in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Names like Foster

Names that sound and feel close to Foster: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Foster with similar names → More names starting with F →