Carter is a popular boys' name in England & Wales, ranking #97 in 2025 with 536 recorded births. The name reached its all-time peak in 2018 with 1,030 births ranking #60. Since 1996, the popularity has increased by 2,580.0%. In 2025, approximately 1 in every 507 boys born was named Carter. FALLING Recent data shows the name is currently falling.
Carter is a crisp surname-style name meaning cart driver. It feels modern, practical, and strongly contemporary in girls' use.
The name rose first as a boys' surname name and later moved more visibly into girls' naming as unisex surname choices expanded. Its sound does most of the work in modern appeal.