Foster
#7,491 for girls in 2025, 14 births · #901 for boys in 2025, 264 births
Given to boys 97.9% of the time
- 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
Rank among boys' names. Foster has never cracked the top 200 here.
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 | |
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 2017
- Rank in state
- Top 10
- 11–50
- 51–100
- 101–500
- 501+
- Not published
Hover or tap a state for its numbers.
- Arkansas#541 · 1 in 2,743
- Kansas#551 · 1 in 3,009
- Alabama#576 · 1 in 3,267
- South Carolina#590 · 1 in 3,500
- Utah#602 · 1 in 3,387
Best ever in a state: #132 in West Virginia, 1921.
Show every state
| State | Rank | Births | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arkansas | #541 | 5 | 1 in 2,743 |
| Kansas | #551 | 5 | 1 in 3,009 |
| Alabama | #576 | 7 | 1 in 3,267 |
| South Carolina | #590 | 6 | 1 in 3,500 |
| Utah | #602 | 6 | 1 in 3,387 |
| Kentucky | #633 | 5 | 1 in 4,327 |
| Ohio | #657 | 13 | 1 in 4,489 |
| Wisconsin | #673 | 6 | 1 in 4,332 |
| North Carolina | #683 | 11 | 1 in 4,666 |
| Indiana | #735 | 7 | 1 in 4,921 |
| Michigan | #752 | 9 | 1 in 5,158 |
| Louisiana | #795 | 5 | 1 in 4,771 |
| Georgia | #799 | 10 | 1 in 5,369 |
| Tennessee | #832 | 6 | 1 in 6,045 |
| Missouri | #840 | 5 | 1 in 6,121 |
| Illinois | #841 | 10 | 1 in 6,193 |
| Washington | #858 | 6 | 1 in 5,926 |
| Texas | #888 | 24 | 1 in 7,340 |
| Florida | #1,077 | 10 | 1 in 9,667 |
| New York | #1,304 | 8 | 1 in 12,194 |
| California | #1,725 | 9 | 1 in 23,968 |
| Alaska | — | — | — |
| Arizona | — | — | — |
| Colorado | — | — | — |
| Connecticut | — | — | — |
| Delaware | — | — | — |
| District of Columbia | — | — | — |
| Hawaii | — | — | — |
| Idaho | — | — | — |
| Iowa | — | — | — |
| Maine | — | — | — |
| Maryland | — | — | — |
| Massachusetts | — | — | — |
| Minnesota | — | — | — |
| Mississippi | — | — | — |
| Montana | — | — | — |
| Nebraska | — | — | — |
| Nevada | — | — | — |
| New Hampshire | — | — | — |
| New Jersey | — | — | — |
| New Mexico | — | — | — |
| North Dakota | — | — | — |
| Oklahoma | — | — | — |
| Oregon | — | — | — |
| Pennsylvania | — | — | — |
| Rhode Island | — | — | — |
| South Dakota | — | — | — |
| Vermont | — | — | — |
| Virginia | — | — | — |
| West Virginia | — | — | — |
| 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
- 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)
- Debuted 1880
- Peaked 1894 at #278 (40 births)
- Not yet halved from its peak
- Top 10: never
- Top 100: never
- Top 1,000: 90 yrs · run 1880–1959
- 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
- 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 2017
Top girls' names in 2017
Top boys' names in 2017
More about 2017
girls
1,726,461 girls got a published name in 2017; 1 in 107,904 of them was named Foster, which outranked 61.6% of the 18,448 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 8.4% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).
- #6,808Zaraya17
- #6,808Zowie17
- #6,808Zuriah17
- #7,092Foster16
- #7,092Aanika16
- #7,092Abra16
- #7,092Abrie16
- #7,442Aalijah15
- #7,442Abriel15
- #7,442Adalei15
Tied with 349 names at #7,092; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.
- ↓ 263Julianne#919 → #1,182
- ↓ 243Milania#947 → #1,190
- ↓ 240Wendy#858 → #1,098
- ↓ 238Montserrat#808 → #1,046
- ↓ 224Nathaly#930 → #1,154
Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.
boys
1,850,956 boys got a published name in 2017; 1 in 8,300 of them was named Foster, which outranked 93.4% of the 14,262 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 8.0% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).