Foster
#7,491 for girls in 2025, 14 births · #901 for boys in 2025, 264 births
Given to boys 97.9% of the time
Showing
- Peak · boys
- 1894 · 40 births
- Debut · boys
- 16 births
- In top 100 · boys
- neverof 146 years
- Total births · boys
- 13,122since 1880
Foster over time
boys
Rank among boys' names. Foster has never cracked the top 200 here.
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
| Year | girls | boys | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| rank | births | rank | births | |
| 2025 | #7,491 | 14 | #901 | 264 |
| 2024 | #5,799 | 21 | #1,076 | 202 |
| 2023 | #5,126 | 25 | #966 | 232 |
| 2022 | #6,984 | 16 | #1,037 | 213 |
| 2021 | #6,691 | 17 | #1,006 | 217 |
| 2020 | #5,667 | 21 | #961 | 226 |
| 2019 | #7,342 | 15 | #945 | 227 |
| 2018 | #8,617 | 12 | #1,077 | 184 |
| 2017 | #7,092 | 16 | #936 | 223 |
| 2016 | #9,411 | 11 | #963 | 214 |
| 2015 | #10,148 | 10 | #1,032 | 196 |
| 2014 | #9,517 | 11 | #991 | 209 |
| 2013 | #11,000 | 9 | #937 | 213 |
| 2012 | #16,869 | 5 | #993 | 200 |
| 2011 | — | #1,544 | 102 | |
| 2010 | #16,992 | 5 | #1,349 | 126 |
| 2009 | — | #1,443 | 116 | |
| 2008 | #17,504 | 5 | #1,736 | 87 |
| 2007 | — | #1,650 | 93 | |
| 2006 | #9,901 | 11 | #1,519 | 99 |
| 2005 | — | #1,619 | 84 | |
| 2004 | #16,099 | 5 | #1,328 | 111 |
| 2003 | — | #1,400 | 95 | |
| 2002 | — | #1,268 | 107 | |
| 2001 | — | #1,387 | 91 | |
| 2000 | #11,801 | 7 | #1,314 | 98 |
| 1999 | — | #1,158 | 113 | |
| 1998 | #11,138 | 7 | #1,172 | 106 |
| 1997 | #10,836 | 7 | #1,116 | 113 |
| 1996 | — | #1,334 | 81 | |
| 1995 | #13,386 | 5 | #1,081 | 109 |
| 1994 | — | #1,192 | 93 | |
| 1993 | #13,442 | 5 | #1,321 | 74 |
| 1992 | — | #1,525 | 58 | |
| 1991 | — | #1,615 | 52 | |
| 1990 | — | #1,635 | 50 | |
| 1989 | — | #1,858 | 40 | |
| 1988 | — | #1,706 | 41 | |
| 1987 | — | #1,655 | 41 | |
| 1986 | — | #2,096 | 27 | |
| 1985 | — | #1,524 | 43 | |
| 1984 | — | #1,764 | 32 | |
| 1983 | — | #1,651 | 35 | |
| 1982 | — | #1,654 | 36 | |
| 1981 | — | #1,661 | 35 | |
| 1980 | — | #1,808 | 31 | |
| 1979 | — | #1,464 | 41 | |
| 1978 | — | #1,652 | 33 | |
| 1977 | — | #1,335 | 46 | |
| 1976 | — | #1,469 | 37 | |
| 1975 | — | #1,345 | 42 | |
| 1974 | — | #1,692 | 28 | |
| 1973 | — | #1,435 | 35 | |
| 1972 | — | #1,680 | 27 | |
| 1971 | — | #1,637 | 29 | |
| 1970 | — | #1,297 | 41 | |
| 1969 | — | #1,605 | 26 | |
| 1968 | — | #1,119 | 45 | |
| 1967 | — | #1,165 | 41 | |
| 1966 | — | #1,299 | 34 | |
| 1965 | — | #1,064 | 48 | |
| 1964 | — | #1,025 | 54 | |
| 1963 | — | #1,195 | 42 | |
| 1962 | — | #1,007 | 58 | |
| 1961 | — | #882 | 75 | |
| 1960 | — | #1,058 | 53 | |
| 1959 | — | #919 | 69 | |
| 1958 | — | #928 | 67 | |
| 1957 | — | #884 | 73 | |
| 1956 | — | #804 | 86 | |
| 1955 | — | #862 | 73 | |
| 1954 | — | #939 | 62 | |
| 1953 | — | #839 | 73 | |
| 1952 | — | #781 | 81 | |
| 1951 | — | #766 | 83 | |
| 1950 | — | #721 | 90 | |
| 1949 | — | #664 | 107 | |
| 1948 | — | #626 | 117 | |
| 1947 | — | #615 | 122 | |
| 1946 | — | #689 | 88 | |
| 1945 | — | #586 | 106 | |
| 1944 | — | #594 | 107 | |
| 1943 | — | #581 | 119 | |
| 1942 | #4,622 | 5 | #575 | 116 |
| 1941 | — | #628 | 93 | |
| 1940 | — | #626 | 90 | |
| 1939 | — | #636 | 86 | |
| 1938 | — | #559 | 108 | |
| 1937 | — | #570 | 102 | |
| 1936 | — | #628 | 86 | |
| 1935 | — | #534 | 117 | |
| 1934 | — | #560 | 111 | |
| 1933 | — | #577 | 100 | |
| 1932 | — | #592 | 99 | |
| 1931 | — | #557 | 111 | |
| 1930 | — | #546 | 121 | |
| 1929 | — | #543 | 117 | |
| 1928 | — | #588 | 110 | |
| 1927 | — | #485 | 155 | |
| 1926 | — | #465 | 167 | |
| 1925 | #4,973 | 5 | #481 | 159 |
| 1924 | — | #472 | 171 | |
| 1923 | #4,967 | 5 | #461 | 176 |
| 1922 | #4,445 | 6 | #442 | 189 |
| 1921 | — | #431 | 199 | |
| 1920 | — | #418 | 201 | |
| 1919 | — | #429 | 188 | |
| 1918 | — | #406 | 212 | |
| 1917 | — | #426 | 177 | |
| 1916 | — | #387 | 204 | |
| 1915 | — | #419 | 166 | |
| 1914 | #3,618 | 5 | #404 | 138 |
| 1913 | — | #381 | 122 | |
| 1912 | — | #391 | 96 | |
| 1911 | — | #353 | 61 | |
| 1910 | — | #415 | 42 | |
| 1909 | — | #408 | 36 | |
| 1908 | — | #355 | 41 | |
| 1907 | — | #429 | 29 | |
| 1906 | — | #321 | 41 | |
| 1905 | — | #370 | 31 | |
| 1904 | — | #300 | 42 | |
| 1903 | — | #360 | 28 | |
| 1902 | — | #360 | 30 | |
| 1901 | — | #291 | 36 | |
| 1900 | — | #419 | 29 | |
| 1899 | — | #294 | 35 | |
| 1898 | — | #316 | 37 | |
| 1897 | — | #299 | 37 | |
| 1896 | — | #279 | 43 | |
| 1895 | — | #358 | 27 | |
| 1894 | — | #278 | 40 | |
| 1893 | — | #287 | 36 | |
| 1892 | — | #284 | 41 | |
| 1891 | — | #291 | 32 | |
| 1890 | — | #369 | 23 | |
| 1889 | — | #338 | 27 | |
| 1888 | — | #359 | 26 | |
| 1887 | — | #409 | 17 | |
| 1886 | — | #369 | 22 | |
| 1885 | — | #344 | 25 | |
| 1884 | — | #399 | 20 | |
| 1883 | — | #289 | 32 | |
| 1882 | — | #294 | 34 | |
| 1881 | — | #348 | 22 | |
| 1880 | — | #442 | 16 | |
First appearance
1880
In the first year the SSA published name data, Foster was already there! It came in at #442, and was given to 16 baby boys.
Quietest stretch: 1880–1881, when fewer than 23 boys a year got the name.
Where Foster is popular in 1920
- Rank in state
- Top 10
- 11–50
- 51–100
- 101–500
- 501+
- Not published
Hover or tap a state for its numbers.
Top states · boys
- South Carolina#194 · 1 in 1,415
- Kentucky#226 · 1 in 1,779
- New Jersey#228 · 1 in 3,635
- West Virginia#238 · 1 in 1,901
- Alabama#240 · 1 in 1,829
Best ever in a state: #132 in West Virginia, 1921.
Show every state
| State | Rank | Births | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Carolina | #194 | 15 | 1 in 1,415 |
| Kentucky | #226 | 14 | 1 in 1,779 |
| New Jersey | #228 | 8 | 1 in 3,635 |
| West Virginia | #238 | 8 | 1 in 1,901 |
| Alabama | #240 | 14 | 1 in 1,829 |
| Ohio | #274 | 14 | 1 in 3,519 |
| Georgia | #308 | 11 | 1 in 2,913 |
| Missouri | #313 | 9 | 1 in 3,096 |
| Louisiana | #336 | 7 | 1 in 2,668 |
| Pennsylvania | #349 | 13 | 1 in 6,528 |
| Oklahoma | #354 | 7 | 1 in 3,105 |
| North Carolina | #395 | 8 | 1 in 4,104 |
| Tennessee | #435 | 5 | 1 in 4,703 |
| New York | #439 | 9 | 1 in 10,046 |
| Illinois | #499 | 5 | 1 in 10,678 |
| Texas | #636 | 8 | 1 in 6,350 |
| Alaska | — | — | — |
| Arizona | — | — | — |
| Arkansas | — | — | — |
| California | — | — | — |
| Colorado | — | — | — |
| Connecticut | — | — | — |
| Delaware | — | — | — |
| District of Columbia | — | — | — |
| Florida | — | — | — |
| Hawaii | — | — | — |
| Idaho | — | — | — |
| Indiana | — | — | — |
| Iowa | — | — | — |
| Kansas | — | — | — |
| Maine | — | — | — |
| Maryland | — | — | — |
| Massachusetts | — | — | — |
| Michigan | — | — | — |
| Minnesota | — | — | — |
| Mississippi | — | — | — |
| Montana | — | — | — |
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| Nevada | — | — | — |
| New Hampshire | — | — | — |
| New Mexico | — | — | — |
| North Dakota | — | — | — |
| Oregon | — | — | — |
| Rhode Island | — | — | — |
| South Dakota | — | — | — |
| Utah | — | — | — |
| Vermont | — | — | — |
| Virginia | — | — | — |
| Washington | — | — | — |
| 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 Foster
Momentum · boys
Holding steady
- 175 spots since 2024 (#1,076 → #901)
- 60 spots since 2020 (#961 → #901)
- 131 spots since 2015 (#1,032 → #901)
- Biggest jump: 551 spots in 2012 (#1,544 → #993)
- Biggest drop: 141 spots in 2018 (#936 → #1,077)
Rise & fade · boys
14 yrs to peak
- Debuted 1880
- Peaked 1894 at #278 (40 births)
- Not yet halved from its peak
Top of the charts · boys
Top 1,000 for 90 yrs
- Top 10: never
- Top 100: never
- Top 1,000: 90 yrs · run 1880–1959
Share of babies · boys
1 in 2,781
- Highest: 1 in 2,781 boys born in 1896 were named Foster (0.04%)
- Latest: 1 in 6,470 boys born in 2025 (0.02%)
- Its best rank, #278 in 1894, was only 1 in 2,894 (0.03%) — a smaller share of a much bigger birth year
Era · boys
The 2010s
- 14.4% of all boys named Foster (1,894) were born in this decade
Show by decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank | Avg rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 241 | #289 (1883) | #359 |
| 1890s | 351 | #278 (1894) | #306 |
| 1900s | 343 | #291 (1901) | #361 |
| 1910s | 1,406 | #353 (1911) | #401 |
| 1920s | 1,644 | #418 (1920) | #479 |
| 1930s | 1,041 | #534 (1935) | #576 |
| 1940s | 1,065 | #575 (1942) | #618 |
| 1950s | 757 | #721 (1950) | #844 |
| 1960s | 476 | #882 (1961) | #1,142 |
| 1970s | 359 | #1,297 (1970) | #1,501 |
| 1980s | 361 | #1,524 (1985) | #1,738 |
| 1990s | 849 | #1,081 (1995) | #1,315 |
| 2000s | 981 | #1,268 (2002) | #1,466 |
| 2010s | 1,894 | #936 (2017) | #1,077 |
| 2020s | 1,354 | #901 (2025) | #991 |
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.
Foster in 1920
boys
#418
201 births · 1 in 5,295 boys
Top boys' names in 1920
More about 1920
boys
1,064,356 boys got a published name in 1920; 1 in 5,295 of them was named Foster, which outranked 91.6% of the 4,989 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 31.6% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).