Carter is one of America's most popular boys' names, ranked #45 in 2025.
Carter is predominantly a boy name. In 2025 it ranked #45 among boys (6,024) and #454 among girls (679) — overall #53 across all names. The charts below show girls and boys separately.
| Year | U.S. births | U.S. + territories | ♀ Rank | ♂ Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 6,703 | 6,703 | #454 | #45 |
| 2024 | 6,894 | 6,894 | #508 | #46 |
| 2023 | 6,472 | 6,472 | #510 | #48 |
| 2022 | 6,914 | 6,914 | #550 | #47 |
| 2021 | 7,827 | 7,827 | #501 | #39 |
| 2020 | 8,164 | 8,164 | #515 | #33 |
| 2019 | 9,293 | 9,293 | #514 | #30 |
| 2018 | 10,040 | 10,040 | #479 | #24 |
| 2017 | 10,435 | 10,440 | #520 | #24 |
| 2016 | 10,923 | 10,923 | #457 | #26 |
| 2015 | 11,395 | 11,400 | #539 | #24 |
| 2014 | 11,046 | 11,051 | #790 | #27 |
| 2013 | 9,890 | 9,890 | #861 | #33 |
| 2012 | 9,520 | 9,520 | #1,031 | #36 |
| 2011 | 8,803 | 8,803 | #1,229 | #41 |
| 2010 | 8,324 | 8,324 | #1,432 | #48 |
| 2009 | 8,292 | 8,292 | #1,811 | #50 |
| 2008 | 7,173 | 7,173 | #2,009 | #65 |
| 2007 | 6,203 | 6,203 | #2,004 | #80 |
| 2006 | 6,556 | 6,556 | #1,703 | #75 |
| 2005 | 6,019 | 6,019 | #1,657 | #77 |
| 2004 | 5,123 | 5,123 | #1,701 | #89 |
| 2003 | 4,272 | 4,272 | #1,833 | #102 |
| 2002 | 3,546 | 3,546 | #2,421 | #108 |
| 2001 | 3,515 | 3,515 | #2,077 | #111 |
| 2000 | 2,641 | 2,641 | #1,872 | #152 |
| 1999 | 2,027 | 2,027 | #1,897 | #179 |
| 1998 | 1,863 | 1,863 | #2,252 | #189 |
| 1997 | 1,601 | — | #2,234 | #204 |
| 1996 | 1,282 | — | #2,089 | #243 |
| 1995 | 978 | — | #2,252 | #286 |
| 1994 | 588 | — | #2,759 | #421 |
| 1993 | 594 | — | #2,730 | #419 |
| 1992 | 517 | — | #3,596 | #450 |
| 1991 | 432 | — | #2,849 | #498 |
| 1990 | 366 | — | #3,375 | #549 |
| 1989 | 316 | — | #4,265 | #565 |
| 1988 | 280 | — | #5,365 | #569 |
| 1987 | 240 | — | #3,350 | #625 |
| 1986 | 203 | — | #3,904 | #665 |
| 1985 | 199 | — | #3,528 | #670 |
| 1984 | 152 | — | #4,768 | #744 |
| 1983 | 125 | — | #6,784 | #811 |
| 1982 | 131 | — | #5,586 | #810 |
| 1981 | 97 | — | #5,934 | #972 |
| 1980 | 101 | — | #7,519 | #924 |
| 1979 | 64 | — | — | #1,118 |
| 1978 | 80 | — | #6,459 | #1,034 |
| 1977 | 132 | — | #5,567 | #773 |
| 1976 | 172 | — | #4,387 | #651 |
| 1975 | 172 | — | #5,584 | #637 |
| 1974 | 156 | — | #4,256 | #686 |
| 1973 | 142 | — | #4,918 | #700 |
| 1972 | 172 | — | #5,532 | #617 |
| 1971 | 202 | — | #4,842 | #600 |
| 1970 | 165 | — | #5,455 | #655 |
| 1969 | 158 | — | #5,510 | #646 |
| 1968 | 130 | — | #6,345 | #675 |
| 1967 | 140 | — | — | #634 |
| 1966 | 127 | — | — | #656 |
| 1965 | 121 | — | #4,882 | #698 |
| 1964 | 132 | — | — | #669 |
| 1963 | 165 | — | #5,365 | #621 |
| 1962 | 140 | — | #4,304 | #680 |
| 1961 | 138 | — | #5,927 | #674 |
| 1960 | 139 | — | — | #665 |
| 1959 | 139 | — | #5,096 | #666 |
| 1958 | 171 | — | #6,218 | #601 |
| 1957 | 144 | — | #6,190 | #652 |
| 1956 | 183 | — | #4,887 | #574 |
| 1955 | 158 | — | #4,113 | #607 |
| 1954 | 191 | — | — | #528 |
| 1953 | 169 | — | #4,281 | #557 |
| 1952 | 164 | — | #4,176 | #559 |
| 1951 | 180 | — | #4,067 | #522 |
| 1950 | 177 | — | #4,373 | #515 |
| 1949 | 184 | — | #4,747 | #495 |
| 1948 | 159 | — | #3,629 | #543 |
| 1947 | 178 | — | — | #502 |
| 1946 | 149 | — | — | #524 |
| 1945 | 124 | — | — | #537 |
| 1944 | 127 | — | #4,658 | #548 |
| 1943 | 135 | — | #4,784 | #553 |
| 1942 | 112 | — | — | #588 |
| 1941 | 116 | — | #3,622 | #569 |
| 1940 | 94 | — | #3,930 | #635 |
| 1939 | 83 | — | #3,821 | #675 |
| 1938 | 106 | — | — | #568 |
| 1937 | 99 | — | — | #580 |
| 1936 | 98 | — | — | #582 |
| 1935 | 101 | — | — | #576 |
| 1934 | 97 | — | — | #597 |
| 1933 | 77 | — | — | #670 |
| 1932 | 68 | — | — | #766 |
| 1931 | 85 | — | #3,539 | #678 |
| 1930 | 62 | — | — | #824 |
| 1929 | 71 | — | — | #754 |
| 1928 | 78 | — | — | #724 |
| 1927 | 94 | — | #3,323 | #702 |
| 1926 | 89 | — | — | #671 |
| 1925 | 95 | — | #4,516 | #679 |
| 1924 | 112 | — | — | #604 |
| 1923 | 83 | — | — | #712 |
| 1922 | 93 | — | — | #666 |
| 1921 | 83 | — | — | #723 |
| 1920 | 103 | — | #5,097 | #636 |
| 1919 | 107 | — | — | #580 |
| 1918 | 100 | — | #4,930 | #628 |
| 1917 | 91 | — | — | #620 |
| 1916 | 83 | — | — | #641 |
| 1915 | 78 | — | — | #658 |
| 1914 | 92 | — | — | #509 |
| 1913 | 37 | — | — | #780 |
| 1912 | 45 | — | — | #612 |
| 1911 | 26 | — | — | #597 |
| 1910 | 26 | — | — | #557 |
| 1909 | 22 | — | — | #559 |
| 1908 | 25 | — | — | #500 |
| 1907 | 18 | — | — | #595 |
| 1906 | 15 | — | — | #620 |
| 1905 | 16 | — | — | #595 |
| 1904 | 25 | — | — | #418 |
| 1903 | 23 | — | — | #415 |
| 1902 | 11 | — | — | #696 |
| 1901 | 13 | — | — | #569 |
| 1900 | 31 | — | — | #403 |
| 1899 | 14 | — | — | #524 |
| 1898 | 14 | — | — | #580 |
| 1897 | 16 | — | — | #501 |
| 1896 | 13 | — | — | #602 |
| 1895 | 9 | — | — | #746 |
| 1894 | 16 | — | — | #504 |
| 1893 | 13 | — | — | #545 |
| 1892 | 18 | — | — | #464 |
| 1891 | 13 | — | — | #500 |
| 1890 | 8 | — | — | #757 |
| 1889 | 11 | — | — | #591 |
| 1888 | 15 | — | — | #507 |
| 1887 | 13 | — | — | #495 |
| 1886 | 15 | — | — | #474 |
| 1885 | 10 | — | — | #613 |
| 1884 | 13 | — | — | #526 |
| 1883 | 11 | — | — | #561 |
| 1881 | 12 | — | — | #506 |