Foster is a boy name with a modern feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Foster means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Foster across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Foster has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Foster is a boy name of English origin meaning “forester, or foster parent”. An occupational surname used as a given name.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 13,408 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 97 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 Foster per year, United States (1880 to 2025). United States peaked in 2025 (278/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 2008 (8/yr).
Foster is an uncommon baby name in the United States. It was most common in 2025, when it ranked #1,786 nationally (given to 282 babies that year).
Vester · Fester · Foyster · Foister
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