Boy · #1,066 in 2026

Foster

Name: Popularity of the name Foster in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Foster, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

The given name Foster is a variation of the surname Forster, meaning one who 'works in the forest'. It may also derive from the French forcetier, meaning 'maker of scissors'. It is both a given name and a surname.

Current Rank

#1,066

Peak Rank

#278 (2023)

Total Babies

13K

5-Yr Trend

-1%

1914

First Year

2026

Last Year

2023

Peak Year

#3618

Peak Rank

316

Total Count

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Foster

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

The Story of Foster

Foster first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1880, with 16 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2023, when 232 Fosters were born — ranking #966 that year. As of 2026, Foster ranks #1,066 for baby boys with 206 births, holding steady (-1%). In total, more than 13K Fosters have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Names that sound like Foster

Phonetically similar names — useful when Foster is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Faster
Fester
Fister
Feaster
Fastr
Pfister
Fuster
Foister
Feister
Fosters
Fostered
Fost

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Foster

What does the name Foster mean?

How popular is Foster in 2026?

In 2026, Foster ranks #1,066 among boys' names in the U.S., with 206 babies given the name that year.

When was Foster most popular?

Foster reached its peak popularity in 2023, ranking #278 that year with 232 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Foster most popular?

Foster has historically been most popular in West Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Foster.

Is Foster a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Foster is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.

What names go well with Foster?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Foster include Elton, Kayson, Archibald. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Foster

Foster is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 13K births in the dataset. Foster's peak popularity came in 2023 when it ranked #278. Use the chart and map above to compare Foster's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

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.