Carter
An occupational surname for a driver of carts.
2015peak year
No. 24best rank (2015)
216,871babies since 1880
No. 45rank in 2025
Popularity, 1880–2025
Carter first shows up in the national records in 1881. It has ranked among the top 100 names for American boys in every year from 2004 to 2025. Its biggest year was 2015, when 10,814 newborn boys received the name, ranking it No. 24 nationally. In 2025 it ranked No. 45 for boys. All told, 216,871 Americans have been given the name since 1880.
Related names
Other spellings on record: Karter (34,052) (total births since 1880)
Explore Carter interactively →By the decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 100 | No. 470 |
| 1890s | 134 | No. 458 |
| 1900s | 199 | No. 402 |
| 1910s | 680 | No. 508 |
| 1920s | 881 | No. 603 |
| 1930s | 863 | No. 568 |
| 1940s | 1,340 | No. 495 |
| 1950s | 1,612 | No. 514 |
| 1960s | 1,345 | No. 620 |
| 1970s | 1,359 | No. 600 |
| 1980s | 1,680 | No. 565 |
| 1990s | 9,725 | No. 179 |
| 2000s | 52,320 | No. 50 |
| 2010s | 95,261 | No. 24 |
| 2020s | 39,334 | No. 33 |
Births and rank shown for boys, the sex more often given the name. The Social Security Administration omits name–year combinations with fewer than five births.
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Data: U.S. Social Security Administration national baby-name file, 1880–2025.