Carter

#454 for girls in 2025, 679 births · #45 for boys in 2025, 6,024 births
Given to boys 95.4% of the time

Showing
Show data for
Peak · boys
2015 · 10,814 births
Debut · boys
12 births
In top 100 · boys
22 yrs
of 146 years
Total births · boys
206,833
since 1881

Carter over time

boys

Rank among boys' names. Click any year to open it.

#1#10#100#1,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201927peak #24, 2015boys
Hover or use arrow keys to read values by year; click or press Enter to open that year.

Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.

Show data table
Yeargirlsboys
rankbirthsrankbirths
2025#454679#456,024
2024#508605#466,289
2023#510594#485,878
2022#550553#476,361
2021#501622#397,205
2020#514587#337,577
2019#514611#308,682
2018#478655#249,385
2017#520602#249,833
2016#457703#2610,220
2015#539581#2410,814
2014#790355#2710,691
2013#860300#339,590
2012#1,031246#369,274
2011#1,229195#418,608
2010#1,431160#488,164
2009#1,810119#508,173
2008#2,004104#657,069
2007#2,003102#806,101
2006#1,702123#756,433
2005#1,657120#775,899
2004#1,698114#895,009
2003#1,832101#1024,171
2002#2,41466#1083,480
2001#2,07580#1113,435
2000#1,86991#1522,550
1999#1,89383#1791,944
1998#2,24463#1891,800
1997#2,22961#2041,540
1996#2,08466#2431,216
1995#2,24459#286919
1994#2,75244#421544
1993#2,72544#419550
1992#3,58130#450487
1991#2,84341#498391
1990#3,36432#549334
1989#4,24822#565294
1988#5,32115#569265
1987#3,33127#624213
1986#3,89021#665182
1985#3,51724#670175
1984#4,73715#742137
1983#6,7059#811116
1982#5,53412#809119
1981#5,88511#97186
1980#7,4188#92493
1979—#1,11664
1978#6,3859#1,03471
1977#5,53211#773121
1976#4,36314#651158
1975#5,51610#635162
1974#4,22714#686142
1973#4,87111#700131
1972#5,4809#617163
1971#4,81011#600191
1970#5,4139#655156
1969#5,4568#646150
1968#6,2466#675124
1967—#634140
1966—#656127
1965#4,8318#697113
1964—#669132
1963#5,2967#620158
1962#4,26310#678130
1961#5,8516#674132
1960—#665139
1959#5,0317#666132
1958#6,1035#601166
1957#6,0865#652139
1956#4,8377#573176
1955#4,0699#607149
1954—#528191
1953#4,2268#557161
1952#4,1238#559156
1951#4,0118#522172
1950#4,3157#514170
1949#4,6736#495178
1948#3,5939#543150
1947—#502178
1946—#524149
1945—#537124
1944#4,5745#548122
1943#4,6915#550130
1942—#587112
1941#3,5597#569109
1940#3,8636#63588
1939#3,7826#67577
1938—#568106
1937—#57999
1936—#58198
1935—#575101
1934—#59797
1933—#66877
1932—#76368
1931#3,4977#67778
1930—#82462
1929—#75271
1928—#72278
1927#3,2849#70285
1926—#67189
1925#4,4266#67889
1924—#603112
1923—#71183
1922—#66693
1921—#72283
1920#4,9755#63598
1919—#580107
1918#4,8095#62895
1917—#62091
1916—#64183
1915—#65778
1914—#50892
1913—#77737
1912—#60845
1911—#59726
1910—#55626
1909—#55822
1908—#49925
1907—#59118
1906—#61315
1905—#59216
1904—#41725
1903—#41123
1902—#68711
1901—#55913
1900—#40231
1899—#52114
1898—#57314
1897—#49516
1896—#59213
1895—#7389
1894—#50216
1893—#53813
1892—#45818
1891—#49713
1890—#7398
1889—#58111
1888—#50515
1887—#48813
1886—#47015
1885—#60410
1884—#52013
1883—#55611
1882——
1881—#50312
1880——
First appearance
1881

The first year at least five boys were named Carter! It came in at #503, and was given to 12 baby boys.


Quietest stretch: 1882, when fewer than 5 boys a year got the name.

Where Carter is popular in 1927

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: fewer than 5 boys named Carter, so not publishedAKMaine: fewer than 5 boys named Carter, so not publishedMEVermont: fewer than 5 boys named Carter, so not publishedVTNew Hampshire: fewer than 5 boys named Carter, so not publishedNHWashington: fewer than 5 boys named Carter, so not publishedWAIdaho: fewer than 5 boys named Carter, so not publishedIDMontana: fewer than 5 boys named Carter, so not publishedMTNorth Dakota: fewer than 5 boys named Carter, so not publishedNDMinnesota: fewer than 5 boys named Carter, so not publishedMNIllinois: fewer than 5 boys named Carter, so not publishedILWisconsin: fewer than 5 boys named Carter, so not publishedWIMichigan: fewer than 5 boys named Carter, so not publishedMINew York: fewer than 5 boys named Carter, so not publishedNYMassachusetts: fewer than 5 boys named Carter, so not publishedMARhode Island: fewer than 5 boys named Carter, so not publishedRIOregon: fewer than 5 boys named Carter, so not publishedORNevada: fewer than 5 boys named Carter, so not publishedNVWyoming: fewer than 5 boys named Carter, so not publishedWYSouth Dakota: fewer than 5 boys named Carter, so not publishedSDIowa: fewer than 5 boys named Carter, so not publishedIAIndiana: fewer than 5 boys named Carter, so not publishedINOhio: fewer than 5 boys named Carter, so not publishedOHPennsylvania: fewer than 5 boys named Carter, so not publishedPANew Jersey: fewer than 5 boys named Carter, so not publishedNJConnecticut: fewer than 5 boys named Carter, so not publishedCTCalifornia: fewer than 5 boys named Carter, so not publishedCAUtah: fewer than 5 boys named Carter, so not publishedUTColorado: fewer than 5 boys named Carter, so not publishedCONebraska: fewer than 5 boys named Carter, so not publishedNEMissouri: #374 for boys · 6 births · 1 in 4,850 boysMOKentucky: #375 for boys · 7 births · 1 in 3,801 boysKYWest Virginia: fewer than 5 boys named Carter, so not publishedWVVirginia: #342 for boys · 6 births · 1 in 3,852 boysVAMaryland: fewer than 5 boys named Carter, so not publishedMDDelaware: fewer than 5 boys named Carter, so not publishedDEArizona: fewer than 5 boys named Carter, so not publishedAZNew Mexico: fewer than 5 boys named Carter, so not publishedNMKansas: fewer than 5 boys named Carter, so not publishedKSArkansas: fewer than 5 boys named Carter, so not publishedARTennessee: fewer than 5 boys named Carter, so not publishedTNNorth Carolina: fewer than 5 boys named Carter, so not publishedNCSouth Carolina: fewer than 5 boys named Carter, so not publishedSCDistrict of Columbia: fewer than 5 boys named Carter, so not publishedDCOklahoma: fewer than 5 boys named Carter, so not publishedOKLouisiana: fewer than 5 boys named Carter, so not publishedLAMississippi: fewer than 5 boys named Carter, so not publishedMSAlabama: #342 for boys · 9 births · 1 in 3,144 boysALGeorgia: #413 for boys · 6 births · 1 in 4,749 boysGAHawaii: fewer than 5 boys named Carter, so not publishedHITexas: #723 for boys · 7 births · 1 in 8,132 boysTXFlorida: fewer than 5 boys named Carter, so not publishedFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · boys
  1. Alabama#342 · 1 in 3,144
  2. Virginia#342 · 1 in 3,852
  3. Missouri#374 · 1 in 4,850
  4. Kentucky#375 · 1 in 3,801
  5. Georgia#413 · 1 in 4,749

Best ever in a state: #1 in North Dakota, 2008.

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Alabama#34291 in 3,144
Virginia#34261 in 3,852
Missouri#37461 in 4,850
Kentucky#37571 in 3,801
Georgia#41361 in 4,749
Texas#72371 in 8,132
Alaska———
Arizona———
Arkansas———
California———
Colorado———
Connecticut———
Delaware———
District of Columbia———
Florida———
Hawaii———
Idaho———
Illinois———
Indiana———
Iowa———
Kansas———
Louisiana———
Maine———
Maryland———
Massachusetts———
Michigan———
Minnesota———
Mississippi———
Montana———
Nebraska———
Nevada———
New Hampshire———
New Jersey———
New Mexico———
New York———
North Carolina———
North Dakota———
Ohio———
Oklahoma———
Oregon———
Pennsylvania———
Rhode Island———
South Carolina———
South Dakota———
Tennessee———
Utah———
Vermont———
Washington———
West Virginia———
Wisconsin———
Wyoming———

Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the boys born there that year. The SSA only publishes a name in a state when 5 or more babies of one sex got it.

See more about Carter
Momentum · boys
Falling
  • 1 spot since 2024 (#46 → #45)
  • 12 spots since 2020 (#33 → #45)
  • 21 spots since 2015 (#24 → #45)
  • Biggest jump: 276 spots in 1903 (#687 → #411)
  • Biggest drop: 261 spots in 1978 (#773 → #1,034)
Rise & fade · boys
134 yrs to peak
  • Debuted 1881
  • Peaked 2015 at #24 (10,814 births)
  • Not yet halved from its peak
Top of the charts · boys
Top 100 for 22 yrs
  • Top 10: never
  • Top 100: 22 yrs · run 2004–2025
  • Top 1,000: 142 yrs · run 1883–1977
Share of babies · boys
1 in 177
  • Highest: 1 in 177 boys born in 2015 were named Carter (0.56%)
  • Latest: 1 in 284 boys born in 2025 (0.35%)
Era · boys
The 2010s
  • 46.1% of all boys named Carter (95,261) were born in this decade
Show by decade
DecadeBirthsBest rankAvg rank
1880s100#470 (1886)#528
1890s134#458 (1892)#565
1900s199#402 (1900)#533
1910s680#508 (1914)#617
1920s881#603 (1924)#686
1930s863#568 (1938)#651
1940s1,340#495 (1949)#549
1950s1,612#514 (1950)#578
1960s1,345#620 (1963)#661
1970s1,359#600 (1971)#747
1980s1,680#565 (1989)#735
1990s9,725#179 (1999)#344
2000s52,320#50 (2009)#91
2010s95,261#24 (2015)#31
2020s39,334#33 (2020)#43

All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 boys in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.

Carter in 1927

girls
#3,284
9 births · 1 in 132,492 girls
boys
#702
85 births · 1 in 13,258 boys

Top girls' names in 1927

  1. #1Mary70,642
  2. #2Dorothy35,993
  3. #3Betty35,424
  4. #4Helen25,316
  5. #5Margaret21,964
  6. #6Ruth19,412
  7. #7Doris16,512
  8. #8Virginia15,734
  9. #9Shirley13,314
  10. #10Barbara13,161
  11. #3,284Carter9

Top boys' names in 1927

  1. #1Robert61,674
  2. #2John55,949
  3. #3James53,674
  4. #4William51,476
  5. #5Charles31,941
  6. #6Richard26,768
  7. #7George25,949
  8. #8Donald23,834
  9. #9Joseph23,503
  10. #10Edward19,115
  11. #702Carter85
More about 1927

girls

1,192,431 girls got a published name in 1927; 1 in 132,492 of them was named Carter, which outranked 41.4% of the 5,602 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 22.4% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Carter
  1. #3,053Winfred10
  2. #3,053Yoshiye10
  3. #3,053Yvonna10
  4. #3,284Carter9
  5. #3,284Agripina9
  6. #3,284Al9
  7. #3,284Ala9
  8. #3,561Adena8
  9. #3,561Adina8
  10. #3,561Adra8

Tied with 276 names at #3,284; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1926
Risers
  1. ↑ 2,708Charmaine#3,564 → #856
  2. ↑ 1,519Kazuko#2,474 → #955
  3. ↑ 1,152Valencia#2,076 → #924
  4. ↑ 551Cherie#1,414 → #863
  5. ↑ 452Lita#1,148 → #696
Fallers
  1. ↓ 349Janell#748 → #1,097
  2. ↓ 330Sabina#931 → #1,261
  3. ↓ 319Clarine#942 → #1,261
  4. ↓ 298Shirlie#980 → #1,278
  5. ↓ 291Delilah#836 → #1,127

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

boys

1,126,915 boys got a published name in 1927; 1 in 13,258 of them was named Carter, which outranked 85.4% of the 4,802 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 33.2% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Carter
  1. #695Gayle87
  2. #695Margaret87
  3. #701Dante86
  4. #702Carter85
  5. #702Eduardo85
  6. #702Guido85
  7. #702King85
  8. #710Aron84
  9. #710Burt84
  10. #710Taylor84

Tied with 7 names at #702; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1926
Risers
  1. ↑ 1,863Lindbergh#2,436 → #573
  2. ↑ 966Lindy#1,353 → #387
  3. ↑ 601Sonny#1,565 → #964
  4. ↑ 467Akira#1,404 → #937
  5. ↑ 442Maria#1,432 → #990
Fallers
  1. ↓ 684Minoru#963 → #1,647
  2. ↓ 611Reno#825 → #1,436
  3. ↓ 406Hurley#916 → #1,322
  4. ↓ 356Adelbert#842 → #1,198
  5. ↓ 330Gardner#963 → #1,293

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

See the top 100 for 1927 →