Carter Boy

Popularity: #45 · Trend: ↘ Falling

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: KAR-ter //ˈkɑːrtər//

Origin: English; French

Meaning: English: 'one who transports goods'; French: 'a cart maker'

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Carter has its roots in the Old French word "carretier," which is derived from the Latin "carretarius," meaning "one who transports goods by cart." This etymology reflects the occupation of a cart driver or carter, which was a significant role in medieval society, facilitating trade and transport. The name entered the English language during the Norman Conquest in the 11th century, when many Old French terms were adopted into English, particularly in relation to trades and professions.

Historically, the name Carter has been borne by various notable figures, particularly in England and America. In the 19th century, it became associated with several prominent individuals, including politicians and military leaders.

The name also appears in various historical texts and documents, reflecting its usage across different regions and eras. While there are no specific biblical references to the name, its occupational roots resonate with the broader tradition of names derived from trades, which were common in many cultures.

Culturally, the name Carter has been linked to themes of labor and service, embodying the values of hard work and community contribution. The name has also been associated with various symbols of transportation and movement, reflecting its origins in the profession of carting.

Additionally, diminutive forms such as "Cart" have emerged in informal contexts, though the name Carter itself has remained the primary form. Overall, the name carries a historical significance that reflects the social and economic structures of past societies.

Famous people named Carter

In this section, you will find notable people named Carter. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Carter who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Carter who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.

Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.

Carter G. Woodson was a historian best known for founding Black History Month and his work The Mis-Education of the Negro.

Carter Beauford is a drummer best known for his work with the Dave Matthews Band.

Carter Bays is a television producer best known for co-creating How I Met Your Mother and the series Happy Endings.

Carter Jenkins is an actor best known for his roles in The Cutting Edge: Chasing the Dream, and the television series Famous in Love.

Carter Oosterhouse is a television personality and carpenter best known for his work on Trading Spaces and Carter Can.

Carter Hart is a professional ice hockey player best known for playing as a goaltender in the NHL for the Philadelphia Flyers.

Carter Reum is an entrepreneur and author best known for co-founding the venture capital firm M13 and his book Shortcut Your Startup.

Fictional characters named Carter

The following list of fictional characters named Carter is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

Carter is a fictional character from the video game series Mass Effect. He is a member of the Systems Alliance and serves as a soldier in the fight against the Reapers.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Carter, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

HunterParkerMasonTylerLoganGrayson

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Carter. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

CadenCameronColtonCarsonCalebCyrusCohenCruz

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Carter was first seen in the United States in 1881.

Carter has ranked as high as #32 nationally, which occurred in 2015, and has been most popular in Texas, California, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Michigan.

In the past 5 years the name Carter has been trending down compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Carter is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Carter was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Carter.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 6,703 6,024 679
2024 6,894 6,289 605
2023 6,472 5,878 594
2022 6,914 6,361 553
2021 7,827 7,205 622
2020 8,164 7,577 587
2019 9,293 8,682 611
2018 10,040 9,385 655
2017 10,435 9,833 602
2016 10,923 10,220 703
2015 11,395 10,814 581
2014 11,046 10,691 355
2013 9,890 9,590 300
2012 9,520 9,274 246
2011 8,803 8,608 195
2010 8,324 8,164 160
2009 8,292 8,173 119
2008 7,173 7,069 104
2007 6,203 6,101 102
2006 6,556 6,433 123
2005 6,019 5,899 120
2004 5,123 5,009 114
2003 4,272 4,171 101
2002 3,546 3,480 66
2001 3,515 3,435 80
2000 2,641 2,550 91
1999 2,027 1,944 83
1998 1,863 1,800 63
1997 1,601 1,540 61
1996 1,282 1,216 66
1995 978 919 59
1994 588 544 44
1993 594 550 44
1992 517 487 30
1991 432 391 41
1990 366 334 32
1989 316 294 22
1988 280 265 15
1987 240 213 27
1986 203 182 21
1985 199 175 24
1984 152 137 15
1983 125 116 9
1982 131 119 12
1981 97 86 11
1980 101 93 8
1979 64 64 0
1978 80 71 9
1977 132 121 11
1976 172 158 14
1975 172 162 10
1974 156 142 14
1973 142 131 11
1972 172 163 9
1971 202 191 11
1970 165 156 9
1969 158 150 8
1968 130 124 6
1967 140 140 0
1966 127 127 0
1965 121 113 8
1964 132 132 0
1963 165 158 7
1962 140 130 10
1961 138 132 6
1960 139 139 0
1959 139 132 7
1958 171 166 5
1957 144 139 5
1956 183 176 7
1955 158 149 9
1954 191 191 0
1953 169 161 8
1952 164 156 8
1951 180 172 8
1950 177 170 7
1949 184 178 6
1948 159 150 9
1947 178 178 0
1946 149 149 0
1945 124 124 0
1944 127 122 5
1943 135 130 5
1942 112 112 0
1941 116 109 7
1940 94 88 6
1939 83 77 6
1938 106 106 0
1937 99 99 0
1936 98 98 0
1935 101 101 0
1934 97 97 0
1933 77 77 0
1932 68 68 0
1931 85 78 7
1930 62 62 0
1929 71 71 0
1928 78 78 0
1927 94 85 9
1926 89 89 0
1925 95 89 6
1924 112 112 0
1923 83 83 0
1922 93 93 0
1921 83 83 0
1920 103 98 5
1919 107 107 0
1918 100 95 5
1917 91 91 0
1916 83 83 0
1915 78 78 0
1914 92 92 0
1913 37 37 0
1912 45 45 0
1911 26 26 0
1910 26 26 0
1909 22 22 0
1908 25 25 0
1907 18 18 0
1906 15 15 0
1905 16 16 0
1904 25 25 0
1903 23 23 0
1902 11 11 0
1901 13 13 0
1900 31 31 0
1899 14 14 0
1898 14 14 0
1897 16 16 0
1896 13 13 0
1895 9 9 0
1894 16 16 0
1893 13 13 0
1892 18 18 0
1891 13 13 0
1890 8 8 0
1889 11 11 0
1888 15 15 0
1887 13 13 0
1886 15 15 0
1885 10 10 0
1884 13 13 0
1883 11 11 0
1881 12 12 0

Top States for Carter (2024)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
TX 648
9%
CA 456
7%
FL 416
6%
NY 325
5%
PA 322
5%
OH 313
5%
NC 300
4%
MI 245
4%
GA 217
3%
TN 205
3%
VA 201
3%
MO 187
3%
IN 186
3%
IL 174
3%
AZ 150
2%
AL 144
2%
NJ 144
2%
SC 144
2%
CO 133
2%
WI 132
2%
KY 125
2%
LA 125
2%
WA 125
2%
MA 112
2%
MD 108
2%
OK 107
2%
MN 93
1%
KS 88
1%
AR 88
1%
UT 84
1%
CT 78
1%
OR 74
1%
MS 72
1%
IA 66
1%
NV 48
1%
WV 47
1%
ID 44
1%
NE 43
1%
ME 39
1%
MT 29
0%
NH 28
0%
NM 28
0%
DE 26
0%
SD 22
0%
RI 21
0%
ND 16
0%
VT 16
0%
AK 14
0%
HI 13
0%
DC 13
0%
WY 6
0%