Carter is a boy name with a modern feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Carter means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Carter across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Carter has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Carter is a boy name of Old English origin meaning “one who transports goods by cart”. originally an occupational surname.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 216,871 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 11,264 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 1,262 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 966 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 468 births |
| New Zealand top 100, since 1954 | 2,031 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Carter per year, United States (1881 to 2025). United States peaked in 2015 (11,395/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 2018 (1,039/yr) · Scotland peaked in 2018 (113/yr) · Ireland peaked in 2019 (61/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 2013 (57/yr).
Carter has been one of the most popular baby names in the United States. It was most common in 2015, when it ranked #32 nationally (given to 12,210 babies that year), and a popular choice in the 2010s.
Karter · Cordero · Kartier · Kharter · Cordera · Karder · Carder · Kartyr
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