Carter
Carter is an English surname and given name that means "one who uses a cart". It is derived from Anglo-Norman careter or caretier.
Meaning & Origin of Carter
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Carter is an English surname and given name that means "one who uses a cart". It is derived from Anglo-Norman careter or caretier.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Carter
Carter first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1881, with 12 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2015, when 10,814 Carters were born — ranking #24 that year. As of 2026, Carter ranks #50 for baby boys with 5,650 births, falling sharply (-30%). In total, more than 212K Carters have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Notable people named Carter
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- Carter Baumler (born 2002), American baseball player
- Carter Bear (born 2006), Canadian ice hockey player
- Carter Beauford (born 1957), American drummer and founding member of the Dave Matthews Band
- Carter Blackburn (born 1979), American sportscaster
- Carter Bradley (born 2000), American football player
- Carter Braxton (1736–1797), American signer of the Declaration of Independence, representative of Virginia
- Carter Moore Braxton (1836–1896), American civil engineer, businessman, and soldier
- Carter Burwell (born 1955), American composer of film soundtracks
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Names that sound like Carter
Phonetically similar names — useful when Carter is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Carter
What does the name Carter mean?
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In which U.S. states is Carter most popular?
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About the name Carter
Carter is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1881 and has accumulated 212K births in the dataset. Carter's peak popularity came in 2015 when it ranked #24. Use the chart and map above to compare Carter's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2015 →
- Names of the 2010s →
- Names starting with "C" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.