Foster
Boy name · #901 in 2025 · Rare
In 2025, 264 baby boys were named Foster, placing it at #901 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #1032, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 6,818 boys born in 2025 was named Foster.
The 145-year story
Foster first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 16 boys received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2025, with 264 babies and a rank of #901. Names at their peak can keep climbing — or be one trend cycle from the long slide that eventually hits most popular names. 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 Foster per year. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Foster against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Foster in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Foster is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Foster will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Foster is most common
Geography matters for names, and Foster is no exception. Adjusted for how many boys are born in each state, Foster is most common in LA (0.6 per 1,000), AL (0.6 per 1,000), SC (0.5 per 1,000), IN (0.4 per 1,000), MI (0.3 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.2 per 1,000 boys. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Foster is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Foster
Statistically, parents drawn to Foster tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Slater, Fisher, Winter, Palmer, and Porter.
SlaterFisherWinterPalmerPorterAbnerEliezerFletcher
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Foster | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 264 | #901 |
| 2024 | 202 | #1076 |
| 2023 | 232 | #966 |
| 2022 | 213 | #1037 |
| 2021 | 217 | #1006 |
| 2020 | 226 | #961 |
| 2019 | 227 | #945 |
| 2018 | 184 | #1077 |
| 2017 | 223 | #936 |
| 2016 | 214 | #963 |
| 2015 | 196 | #1032 |
| 2014 | 209 | #991 |
| 2013 | 213 | #937 |
| 2012 | 200 | #993 |
| 2011 | 102 | #1544 |
| 2010 | 126 | #1349 |
| 2009 | 116 | #1443 |
| 2008 | 87 | #1736 |
| 2007 | 93 | #1650 |
| 2006 | 99 | #1519 |
| 2005 | 84 | #1619 |
| 2004 | 111 | #1328 |
| 2003 | 95 | #1400 |
| 2002 | 107 | #1268 |
| 2001 | 91 | #1387 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Foster a popular boy name?
Foster ranked #901 among boys in 2025 with 264 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #1032.
When was the name Foster most popular?
Foster peaked in 2025, when 264 American boys received the name (ranked #901 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Foster?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 6,818 newborn American boys was named Foster. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "rare".
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.