Carter
Boy name · #45 in 2025 · Uniqueness 44/100
Carter is currently the #45 boy name in the United States — 6,024 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #24, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 299 boys born in 2025 was named Carter.
The 144-year story
Carter first appears in the Social Security records in 1881, when 12 boys received the name. Its peak came in 2015, when 10,814 boys were named Carter — good for #24 that year. Today's parents encounter it on its way down the popularity curve, which for many parents is exactly the appeal. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Carter per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Carter against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Carter in class?
Carter scores 44 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "distinctive" band. That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Carter is most common
Geography matters for names, and Carter is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Carters were TX (480), CA (399), FL (370), NY (292), OH (285). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
Names like Carter
Statistically, parents drawn to Carter tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Cooper, Parker, Sawyer, Ryder, and Josiah.
CooperParkerSawyerRyderJosiahTuckerPorterWyatt
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Carter | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 6,024 | #45 |
| 2024 | 6,289 | #46 |
| 2023 | 5,878 | #48 |
| 2022 | 6,361 | #47 |
| 2021 | 7,205 | #39 |
| 2020 | 7,577 | #33 |
| 2019 | 8,682 | #30 |
| 2018 | 9,385 | #24 |
| 2017 | 9,833 | #24 |
| 2016 | 10,220 | #26 |
| 2015 | 10,814 | #24 |
| 2014 | 10,691 | #27 |
| 2013 | 9,590 | #33 |
| 2012 | 9,274 | #36 |
| 2011 | 8,608 | #41 |
| 2010 | 8,164 | #48 |
| 2009 | 8,173 | #50 |
| 2008 | 7,069 | #65 |
| 2007 | 6,101 | #80 |
| 2006 | 6,433 | #75 |
| 2005 | 5,899 | #77 |
| 2004 | 5,009 | #89 |
| 2003 | 4,171 | #102 |
| 2002 | 3,480 | #108 |
| 2001 | 3,435 | #111 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Carter a popular boy name?
Carter ranked #45 among boys in 2025 with 6,024 babies given the name — firmly in the top 100, so yes, it’s a popular choice. Ten years earlier it ranked #24.
When was the name Carter most popular?
Carter peaked in 2015, when 10,814 American boys received the name (ranked #24 that year). Since 2015 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Carter?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 299 newborn American boys was named Carter. It scores 44/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "distinctive".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.