Karter
Karter was the 270th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 1,265 babies. Its best year was 2020, when it ranked 162nd; the most babies were born in 2019 (2,425). Over the last ten years it has moved down 87 places. More babies were named Karter in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Carter) cart driver (surname) · English, Irish
- Rank in 2025
- #270 boys, down 108 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 1,265boys
- Girls and boys
- 15% girls, 85% boys2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20192,425 babies
- Total since 1880
- 34,052babies recorded
What does the name Karter mean?
Karter is a spelling of Carter, pronounced the same way, so it shares Carter's meaning and origin.
Carter is mainly an English occupational surname for someone who drove a cart and carried goods. Wiktionary adds an Irish source, Mac Artúir, 'son of Arthur'. It is now used as a first name.
carter (English, “one who drives a cart”)Mac Artúir (Irish, “son of Arthur”)
How sure is this? Probable. Wikipedia traces the word further back to a Celtic word for cart; that chain needs a scholarly check.
See also: English names, names from occupations.
Karter popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Rank (boys) | Babies (girls) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #989 | #270 | 256 | 1,265 |
| 2020 | #893 | #162 | 297 | 2,340 |
| 2010 | #2,106 | #443 | 94 | 604 |
| 2000 | #8,865 | #1,863 | 11 | 57 |
| 1990 | — | #5,600 | — | 9 |
| 1980 | — | — | — | — |
| 1970 | — | — | — | — |
| 1960 | — | — | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
How popular is Karter, counting every spelling?
Karter is a spelling of Carter, a name family that ranked #35 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #270 for Karter on its own. Together these spellings went to 7,289 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carter | 6,024 | #45 | 31,757 |
| Karter | 1,265 | #270 | 7,955 |
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 Karter?
1,265 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Karter (0.35 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Karter 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 7 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Karter.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Karter?
About 29,200 people born in the US named Karter are alive today, with a median age of 8; half are between 5 and 12. That makes Karter 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.
Karter by state
How common Karter was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Mississippi (4.5×), Louisiana (3.5×), South Carolina (3.0×), Georgia (2.7×), Alabama (2.7×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Utah, New Mexico, California.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Karter: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Karter, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Karter
What does Karter mean?
Karter is a spelling of Carter, which means “cart driver (surname)” (English, Irish origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Karter?
Karter was the 270th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 1,265 babies. Its best year was 2020, when it ranked 162nd; the most babies were born in 2019 (2,425). Over the last ten years it has moved down 87 places. More babies were named Karter in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Karter a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, 15% girls, 85% boys given the name Karter in the US.
Where is Karter most popular?
In 2021–2025, Karter was most common in Mississippi (4.10 per 1,000 boys), followed by Louisiana and South Carolina.