Hunter
Hunter is an English unisex given name.
Meaning & Origin of Hunter
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Hunter is an English unisex given name.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Hunter
As a girl name
Hunter first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1902, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1998, when 997 Hunters were born — ranking #304 that year. As of 2026, Hunter ranks #850 for girls with 320 births, holding steady (-2%). In total, more than 15K Hunters have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1900s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Hunter first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1880, with 12 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2000, when 12,538 Hunters were born — ranking #35 that year. As of 2026, Hunter ranks #154 for boys with 2,344 births, falling sharply (-47%). In total, more than 264K Hunters 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 Hunter
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- Hunter Abbott (born 1980), British racing driver and businessman
- Hunter Andrews (1921–2005), American politician
- Hunter Armstrong (born 2001), American swimmer
- Hunter Azure (born 1992), American mixed martial artist
- Hunter Biden (born 1970), American lawyer and son of American president Joe Biden
- Hunter Bishop (born 1998), American baseball player
- Hunter Bradley (born 1994), American football player
- Hunter Bryant (born 1998), American football player
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Names that sound like Hunter
Phonetically similar names — useful when Hunter is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
- Hinter
- Henter
- Haunter
- Hundre
- Hanter
- Hinder
- Hender
- Hunt
- Hunters
- Hander
- Hunte
- Hutter
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Hunter
What does the name Hunter mean?
How popular is Hunter in 2026?
When was Hunter most popular?
In which U.S. states is Hunter most popular?
Is Hunter a unisex name?
What names go well with Hunter?
About the name Hunter
Hunter is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 264K births in the dataset. Hunter's peak popularity came in 2000 when it ranked #35. Use the chart and map above to compare Hunter's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2000 →
- Names of the 2000s →
- Names starting with "H" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
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.