Boy nameCurrently #45 in the USFalling
Carter
KAR-ter//ˈkɑːrtər//
2 syllablesPeak year: 20156 lettersStarts with C
Meaning & origin
Cart driver, transporter of goods
Carter comes from the medieval occupational surname for someone who transported goods by cart, an essential trade in pre-industrial England. Its solid, professional sound made it a very popular choice through the 2000s and 2010s.
Carter's popularity over time
| Year | Births named Carter |
|---|---|
| 1881 | 12 |
| 1883 | 11 |
| 1884 | 13 |
| 1885 | 10 |
| 1886 | 15 |
| 1887 | 13 |
| 1888 | 15 |
| 1889 | 11 |
| 1890 | 8 |
| 1891 | 13 |
| 1892 | 18 |
| 1893 | 13 |
| 1894 | 16 |
| 1895 | 9 |
| 1896 | 13 |
| 1897 | 16 |
| 1898 | 14 |
| 1899 | 14 |
| 1900 | 31 |
| 1901 | 13 |
| 1902 | 11 |
| 1903 | 23 |
| 1904 | 25 |
| 1905 | 16 |
| 1906 | 15 |
| 1907 | 18 |
| 1908 | 25 |
| 1909 | 22 |
| 1910 | 26 |
| 1911 | 26 |
| 1912 | 45 |
| 1913 | 37 |
| 1914 | 92 |
| 1915 | 78 |
| 1916 | 83 |
| 1917 | 91 |
| 1918 | 100 |
| 1919 | 107 |
| 1920 | 103 |
| 1921 | 83 |
| 1922 | 93 |
| 1923 | 83 |
| 1924 | 112 |
| 1925 | 95 |
| 1926 | 89 |
| 1927 | 94 |
| 1928 | 78 |
| 1929 | 71 |
| 1930 | 62 |
| 1931 | 85 |
| 1932 | 68 |
| 1933 | 77 |
| 1934 | 97 |
| 1935 | 101 |
| 1936 | 98 |
| 1937 | 99 |
| 1938 | 106 |
| 1939 | 83 |
| 1940 | 94 |
| 1941 | 116 |
| 1942 | 112 |
| 1943 | 135 |
| 1944 | 127 |
| 1945 | 124 |
| 1946 | 149 |
| 1947 | 178 |
| 1948 | 159 |
| 1949 | 184 |
| 1950 | 177 |
| 1951 | 180 |
| 1952 | 164 |
| 1953 | 169 |
| 1954 | 191 |
| 1955 | 158 |
| 1956 | 183 |
| 1957 | 145 |
| 1958 | 170 |
| 1959 | 139 |
| 1960 | 139 |
| 1961 | 138 |
| 1962 | 140 |
| 1963 | 165 |
| 1964 | 132 |
| 1965 | 121 |
| 1966 | 127 |
| 1967 | 140 |
| 1968 | 130 |
| 1969 | 158 |
| 1970 | 165 |
| 1971 | 202 |
| 1972 | 172 |
| 1973 | 142 |
| 1974 | 156 |
| 1975 | 172 |
| 1976 | 172 |
| 1977 | 132 |
| 1978 | 80 |
| 1979 | 65 |
| 1980 | 101 |
| 1981 | 97 |
| 1982 | 131 |
| 1983 | 126 |
| 1984 | 152 |
| 1985 | 201 |
| 1986 | 203 |
| 1987 | 240 |
| 1988 | 280 |
| 1989 | 316 |
| 1990 | 366 |
| 1991 | 432 |
| 1992 | 517 |
| 1993 | 594 |
| 1994 | 588 |
| 1995 | 978 |
| 1996 | 1,282 |
| 1997 | 1,601 |
| 1998 | 1,863 |
| 1999 | 2,027 |
| 2000 | 2,641 |
| 2001 | 3,515 |
| 2002 | 3,546 |
| 2003 | 4,272 |
| 2004 | 5,123 |
| 2005 | 6,019 |
| 2006 | 6,556 |
| 2007 | 6,203 |
| 2008 | 7,173 |
| 2009 | 8,292 |
| 2010 | 8,324 |
| 2011 | 8,803 |
| 2012 | 9,518 |
| 2013 | 9,889 |
| 2014 | 11,045 |
| 2015 | 11,395 |
| 2016 | 10,920 |
| 2017 | 10,433 |
| 2018 | 10,037 |
| 2019 | 9,293 |
| 2020 | 8,162 |
| 2021 | 7,824 |
| 2022 | 6,909 |
| 2023 | 6,464 |
| 2024 | 6,871 |
Carter through the decades
- Carter peaked in 2015, when 11,395 babies were named Carter in the US.
- Over the last 10 years of data (2015–2024), use of Carter has risen 8% compared to the 10 years before that.
- Carter currently ranks #45 in the US and is cooling off.
Nicknames
Cart
Variants & spellings
Karter
Famous people named Carter
- Jimmy Carter — US president (surname)