Hunter Boy

Popularity: #130 · Trend: ↘ Falling

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: HUN-ter //ˈhʌntər//

Origin: English; Old French

Meaning: English: one who hunts; Old French: hunter

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Hunter originates from the Old English term "hunta," which means "one who hunts." This term is derived from the Proto-Germanic root "hunthaz," which also relates to the act of hunting. The name entered the English language during the medieval period, reflecting the importance of hunting in feudal society, where it was often associated with nobility and land ownership.

As a surname, Hunter became established in England and Scotland, where it was used to denote someone who engaged in hunting, either as a profession or as a pastime associated with the gentry. Historically, the name Hunter has been borne by notable figures, including several Scottish clansmen and English nobles.

In the 12th century, hunting was not only a means of sustenance but also a sport for the elite, leading to the name's association with status and skill. The name appears in various historical documents, including land grants and records of the nobility, indicating its significance in medieval society.

The use of Hunter as a given name became more common in the 19th century, reflecting a broader trend of adopting surnames as first names in English-speaking cultures. Culturally, the name Hunter evokes themes of adventure, nature, and the outdoors, resonating with traditions of exploration and survival.

It has been associated with various literary and artistic representations of the hunter archetype, symbolizing bravery and the connection to the natural world. Additionally, diminutive forms such as Hunt or Hunte have been used historically, though Hunter remains the most recognized form.

The name's enduring appeal can be attributed to its strong, masculine connotations and its deep-rooted connections to historical practices and societal roles.

Famous people named Hunter

In this section, you will find notable people named Hunter. 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 Hunter who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Hunter 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.

Hunter S. Thompson is a journalist and author best known for Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Hell's Angels: The Strange and Terrible Saga of the Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs, and The Rum Diary.

Hunter Hayes is a country music singer and songwriter best known for his hits Wanted, I Want Crazy, and Tattoo.

Hunter Parrish is an actor best known for his roles in Weeds, 17 Again, and the Broadway musical Spring Awakening.

Hunter Biden is an attorney and businessman best known for his work with investment firms and as the son of Joe Biden.

Fictional characters named Hunter

The following list of fictional characters named Hunter 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.

Hunter is a fictional character from the video game series Monster Hunter. He is a skilled warrior tasked with hunting down and slaying formidable monsters to protect his village.

Sibling suggestions

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

HarrisonHoldenHudsonHaydenHugoHeath

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Hunter. 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.

HankHayesHarlanHendrixHoltHuxleyHector

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Hunter was first seen in the United States in 1880.

Hunter has ranked as high as #45 nationally, which occurred in 2000, and has been most popular in Texas, California, Florida, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.

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

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Hunter 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 Hunter 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 Hunter.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 3,084 2,761 323
2024 3,159 2,852 307
2023 3,478 3,131 347
2022 3,969 3,605 364
2021 4,546 4,206 340
2020 5,115 4,786 329
2019 5,709 5,398 311
2018 6,446 6,117 329
2017 7,144 6,760 384
2016 8,019 7,681 338
2015 8,723 8,367 356
2014 9,205 8,841 364
2013 9,261 8,988 273
2012 8,261 8,053 208
2011 7,577 7,380 197
2010 7,512 7,334 178
2009 7,937 7,751 186
2008 8,245 8,045 200
2007 8,430 8,218 212
2006 8,818 8,574 244
2005 8,748 8,512 236
2004 9,256 8,902 354
2003 10,224 9,900 324
2002 11,557 11,085 472
2001 11,963 11,335 628
2000 13,252 12,538 714
1999 12,329 11,485 844
1998 12,075 11,078 997
1997 9,133 8,405 728
1996 8,385 7,603 782
1995 7,489 6,715 774
1994 6,407 5,585 822
1993 4,263 3,792 471
1992 2,660 2,541 119
1991 1,968 1,929 39
1990 1,428 1,391 37
1989 1,235 1,206 29
1988 1,016 980 36
1987 820 806 14
1986 697 671 26
1985 587 567 20
1984 475 459 16
1983 372 357 15
1982 323 317 6
1981 279 266 13
1980 251 242 9
1979 206 196 10
1978 155 145 10
1977 170 160 10
1976 141 130 11
1975 109 109 0
1974 92 92 0
1973 94 87 7
1972 84 84 0
1971 99 99 0
1970 113 113 0
1969 98 98 0
1968 94 94 0
1967 80 80 0
1966 71 66 5
1965 67 67 0
1964 75 75 0
1963 68 68 0
1962 76 76 0
1961 69 69 0
1960 71 71 0
1959 66 66 0
1958 63 63 0
1957 77 72 5
1956 62 62 0
1955 55 55 0
1954 68 68 0
1953 41 41 0
1952 51 51 0
1951 49 49 0
1950 49 49 0
1949 51 51 0
1948 49 49 0
1947 68 68 0
1946 60 60 0
1945 49 49 0
1944 41 41 0
1943 42 42 0
1942 41 41 0
1941 33 33 0
1940 36 36 0
1939 39 39 0
1938 32 32 0
1937 35 35 0
1936 22 22 0
1935 44 44 0
1934 45 45 0
1933 34 34 0
1932 52 52 0
1931 50 50 0
1930 40 40 0
1929 61 61 0
1928 55 55 0
1927 56 56 0
1926 60 60 0
1925 35 35 0
1924 67 67 0
1923 69 69 0
1922 56 56 0
1921 53 48 5
1920 69 69 0
1919 55 55 0
1918 68 68 0
1917 60 60 0
1916 47 47 0
1915 50 50 0
1914 42 42 0
1913 36 36 0
1912 28 28 0
1911 17 17 0
1910 16 16 0
1909 13 13 0
1908 15 15 0
1907 13 13 0
1906 13 13 0
1905 14 14 0
1904 17 17 0
1903 5 5 0
1902 21 15 6
1901 8 8 0
1900 12 12 0
1899 10 10 0
1898 10 10 0
1897 8 8 0
1896 15 15 0
1895 7 7 0
1894 9 9 0
1893 12 12 0
1892 11 11 0
1891 11 11 0
1890 8 8 0
1889 11 11 0
1888 16 16 0
1886 7 7 0
1885 10 10 0
1884 6 6 0
1883 6 6 0
1882 10 10 0
1881 6 6 0
1880 12 12 0

Top States for Hunter (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
CA 243
8%
TX 236
8%
NY 181
6%
FL 168
5%
OH 135
4%
NC 122
4%
PA 107
3%
MI 105
3%
TN 98
3%
GA 98
3%
IN 96
3%
MO 85
3%
WA 75
2%
VA 73
2%
IL 72
2%
AL 70
2%
NJ 65
2%
AZ 63
2%
KY 63
2%
MA 58
2%
MD 57
2%
CO 57
2%
SC 55
2%
OK 54
2%
MN 53
2%
OR 52
2%
WI 49
2%
UT 47
2%
AR 45
1%
LA 40
1%
CT 35
1%
KS 34
1%
NV 30
1%
MS 28
1%
NE 26
1%
WV 26
1%
IA 25
1%
NH 24
1%
ID 23
1%
RI 15
0%
NM 15
0%
HI 14
0%
ME 13
0%
DE 12
0%
SD 11
0%
ND 9
0%
AK 9
0%
MT 9
0%
WY 6
0%