Colter is a distinctive boys' name in United States, ranking #969 in 2019 with 221 recorded births. The name reached its all-time peak in 2025 with 2,354 births ranking #157. Since 1996, the popularity has increased by 140.2%. In 2019, approximately 1 in every 8,115 boys born was named Colter. RISING Recent data shows the name is currently rising.
Colter is a surname-style name closely related in feel to Colt, though its background is usually surname-based rather than a direct word-name use. It has a strong, outdoorsy modern style.
The name rose in the United States through the same taste that made names like Carter, Cooper, and Colton successful. Frontier and rugged-surname associations are a big part of its image.