Carter is a highly popular boys' name in United States, ranking #45 in 2024 with 6,267 recorded births. The name reached its all-time peak in 2015 with 10,814 births ranking #24. Since 1996, the popularity has increased by 415.4%. In 2024, approximately 1 in every 274 boys born was named Carter. STABLE Recent data shows the name is currently stable.
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.