Karter
A male or female given name.
Every Karter since 1985 — 34,052 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Karter
Karter is moderately common for boys in the United States, ranked #270 in 2025 with 1,265 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.
Since 1985, 34,052 American babies have been named Karter — about 87% boys and 13% girls, making it a genuinely unisex name. Its peak came in 2019, when 2,795 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 2010s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Karter stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Karter year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 256 | #989 | 1,265 | #270 |
| 2024 | 257 | #1,001 | 1,431 | #248 |
| 2023 | 303 | #889 | 1,597 | #225 |
| 2022 | 312 | #892 | 1,743 | #217 |
| 2021 | 319 | #861 | 1,919 | #201 |
| 2020 | 297 | #893 | 2,340 | #162 |
| 2019 | 370 | #759 | 2,425 | #163 |
| 2018 | 312 | #872 | 2,239 | #176 |
| 2017 | 351 | #783 | 2,286 | #174 |
| 2016 | 410 | #702 | 2,125 | #190 |
| 2015 | 410 | #692 | 2,286 | #183 |
| 2014 | 274 | #973 | 2,117 | #194 |
| 2013 | 167 | #1,388 | 1,179 | #300 |
| 2012 | 132 | #1,636 | 886 | #349 |
| 2011 | 87 | #2,183 | 727 | #391 |
| 2010 | 94 | #2,106 | 604 | #443 |
| 2009 | 52 | #3,221 | 466 | #567 |
| 2008 | 23 | #6,032 | 362 | #669 |
| 2007 | 15 | #8,307 | 268 | #801 |
| 2006 | 32 | #4,519 | 239 | #845 |
| 2005 | 10 | #10,519 | 202 | #894 |
| 2004 | 21 | #5,850 | 143 | #1,108 |
| 2003 | 16 | #7,050 | 139 | #1,107 |
| 2002 | 18 | #6,262 | 101 | #1,321 |
| 2001 | 9 | #10,539 | 102 | #1,295 |
| 2000 | 11 | #8,865 | 57 | #1,863 |
| 1995 | — | — | 19 | #3,495 |
| 1990 | — | — | 9 | #5,600 |
| 1985 | — | — | 5 | #7,074 |
| 1980 | — | — | — | — |
| 1975 | — | — | — | — |
| 1970 | — | — | — | — |
| 1965 | — | — | — | — |
| 1960 | — | — | — | — |
| 1955 | — | — | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — | — | — |
| 1945 | — | — | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — | — | — |
| 1935 | — | — | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — | — | — |
| 1925 | — | — | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — | — | — |
| 1915 | — | — | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — | — | — |
| 1905 | — | — | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — |
| 1895 | — | — | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — | — | — |
| 1885 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Karter mean?
A male or female given name.
How popular is the name Karter in 2025?
Karter ranked #270 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 1,265 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Karter?
34,052 babies have been named Karter in the United States since 1985, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Karter most popular?
Karter peaked in 2019, when 2,795 newborns received the name.
Is Karter a boy or girl name?
Karter is used for both: about 13% of babies named Karter have been girls and 87% boys.
Is the name Karter rising or falling?
Karter is declining — less popular now than a decade ago.