Colter
Colter was the 157th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 2,354 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 1,111 places. More babies were named Colter in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Meaning Origin not documented
Say it KOHL-ter /ˈkoʊltər/
- Rank in 2025
- #157 boys, up 815 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 2,354boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20252,354 babies
- Total since 1880
- 10,705babies recorded
What does the name Colter mean?
Colter is an English surname with no etymology in the dictionary sources we checked; Wiktionary has no entry and Wikipedia lists places and people. In the US the name is linked with John Colter, a member of the Lewis and Clark expedition and an early explorer of the Yellowstone region, and Western landmarks such as Colter Peak carry the surname. Some parents also hear it as related to Colt or Colton. As a boy's first name it is a recent American choice.
How sure is this? Not documented. No dictionary etymology found; a surname dictionary check is needed.
Related names: Colt, Colton, Coulter.
Sources for this meaning
- Wikipedia, 'Colter', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wikipedia, 'John Colter', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
Nicknames for Colter
The usual nicknames for Colter are Colt. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 boys named Colter in the last five years, 112 were named Colt, against 176 twenty years earlier.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Boys, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colt · also for Colton | Modern | #285 | 6,917 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Colters go by each one.
Colter popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #157 | 2,354 |
| 2020 | #972 | 221 |
| 2010 | #1,311 | 131 |
| 2000 | #1,488 | 82 |
| 1990 | #1,204 | 82 |
| 1980 | #1,816 | 31 |
| 1970 | — | — |
| 1960 | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Colter, counting every spelling?
Colter is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #130 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #157 for Colter on its own. Together these spellings went to 2,865 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colter | 2,354 | #157 | 6,196 |
| Kolter | 476 | #600 | 1,194 |
| Coulter | 35 | #3,328 | 159 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Colter?
2,354 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Colter (0.65 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Colter born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 4 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Colter.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Colter?
About 10,600 people born in the US named Colter are alive today, with a median age of 4; half are between 2 and 17. That makes Colter a young name: most people with it are children.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Colter by state
How common Colter was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Montana (9.3×), Wyoming (8.7×), North Dakota (6.5×), South Dakota (6.5×), Idaho (4.6×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Massachusetts, New Jersey, Connecticut.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Colter: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Colter, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Colter · Sibling names for Colter
Questions about the name Colter
How popular is the name Colter?
Colter was the 157th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 2,354 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 1,111 places. More babies were named Colter in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Is Colter a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Colter in the US.
Where is Colter most popular?
In 2021–2025, Colter was most common in Montana (6.63 per 1,000 boys), followed by Wyoming and North Dakota.