Karter
Boy name · #270 in 2025 · Distinctive
How old is the name Karter? In official American birth records, Karter has been tracked continuously since 1985, giving it 40 years of documented American history.
Karter ranks #270 among American boys' names as of 2025, with 1,265 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #183, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 1,423 boys born in 2025 was named Karter.
The 40-year story
Karter first appears in the Social Security records in 1985, when 5 boys received the name. Its peak came in 2019, when 2,425 boys were named Karter — good for #163 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 Karter per year. Source: Official national birth records.
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 "distinctive". That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Karter is most common
Geography matters for names, and Karter is no exception. Adjusted for how many boys are born in each state, Karter is most common in MS (3.4 per 1,000), LA (3.1 per 1,000), SC (2 per 1,000), AL (2 per 1,000), GA (1.9 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.9 per 1,000 boys. 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 Porter, Xander, Ryker, Kayson, and Sawyer.
PorterXanderRykerKaysonSawyerGunnerJasperKaiser
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Karter | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,265 | #270 |
| 2024 | 1,431 | #248 |
| 2023 | 1,597 | #225 |
| 2022 | 1,743 | #217 |
| 2021 | 1,919 | #201 |
| 2020 | 2,340 | #162 |
| 2019 | 2,425 | #163 |
| 2018 | 2,239 | #176 |
| 2017 | 2,286 | #174 |
| 2016 | 2,125 | #188 |
| 2015 | 2,286 | #183 |
| 2014 | 2,117 | #194 |
| 2013 | 1,179 | #299 |
| 2012 | 886 | #349 |
| 2011 | 727 | #390 |
| 2010 | 604 | #443 |
| 2009 | 466 | #567 |
| 2008 | 362 | #668 |
| 2007 | 268 | #801 |
| 2006 | 239 | #844 |
| 2005 | 202 | #892 |
| 2004 | 143 | #1101 |
| 2003 | 139 | #1103 |
| 2002 | 101 | #1315 |
| 2001 | 102 | #1287 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Karter?
In official American birth records, the name Karter first appeared in 1985 (over 40 years ago), when 5 newborn boys received the name. It has been tracked in modern national records for 40 years.
Is Karter a popular boy name?
Karter ranked #270 among boys in 2025 with 1,265 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #183.
When was the name Karter most popular?
Karter peaked in 2019, when 2,425 American boys received the name (ranked #163 that year). Since 2019 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Karter?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 1,423 newborn American boys was named Karter. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "distinctive".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.