Karter
Girl name · #990 in 2025 · Rare
Karter is currently the #990 girl name in the United States — 256 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #692, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 7,031 girls born in 2025 was named Karter.
Babies named Karter per year. Source: SSA.
The 28-year story
Karter first appears in the Social Security records in 1997, when 6 girls received the name. Its peak came in 2015, when 410 girls were named Karter — good for #692 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.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Karter against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Karter in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Karter is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Karter will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Karter is most common
Geography matters for names, and Karter is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Karter is most common in OK (0.7 per 1,000), VA (0.3 per 1,000), GA (0.3 per 1,000), NC (0.3 per 1,000), TX (0.2 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.2 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Karter is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Karter
Statistically, parents drawn to Karter tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Carter, Kimber, Wynter, Winter, and Porter.
CarterKimberWynterWinterPorterDenverSailorKinslee
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Karter | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 256 | #987 |
| 2024 | 257 | #1001 |
| 2023 | 303 | #887 |
| 2022 | 312 | #892 |
| 2021 | 319 | #860 |
| 2020 | 297 | #893 |
| 2019 | 370 | #758 |
| 2018 | 312 | #870 |
| 2017 | 351 | #783 |
| 2016 | 410 | #701 |
| 2015 | 410 | #692 |
| 2014 | 274 | #972 |
| 2013 | 167 | #1385 |
| 2012 | 132 | #1629 |
| 2011 | 87 | #2173 |
| 2010 | 94 | #2093 |
| 2009 | 52 | #3189 |
| 2008 | 23 | #5955 |
| 2007 | 15 | #8098 |
| 2006 | 32 | #4463 |
| 2005 | 10 | #10128 |
| 2004 | 21 | #5744 |
| 2003 | 16 | #6885 |
| 2002 | 18 | #6129 |
| 2001 | 9 | #10102 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Karter a popular girl name?
Karter ranked #990 among girls in 2025 with 256 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #692.
When was the name Karter most popular?
Karter peaked in 2015, when 410 American girls received the name (ranked #692 that year). Since 2015 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Karter?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 7,031 newborn American girls was named Karter. 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.