Kolter
Kolter was the 600th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 476 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 2,192 places. More babies were named Kolter in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Colter) Origin not documented
- Rank in 2025
- #600 boys, up 1,624 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 476boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2025476 babies
- Total since 1880
- 1,938babies recorded
What does the name Kolter mean?
Kolter is a spelling of Colter, pronounced the same way, so it shares Colter's meaning and origin.
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
Kolter popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #600 | 476 |
| 2020 | #2,224 | 62 |
| 2010 | #3,678 | 29 |
| 2000 | #9,783 | 6 |
| 1990 | #8,877 | 5 |
| 1980 | — | — |
| 1970 | — | — |
| 1960 | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Kolter, counting every spelling?
Kolter is a spelling of Colter, a name family that ranked #130 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #600 for Kolter 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 Kolter?
476 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Kolter (0.13 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Kolter 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 18 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Kolter.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Kolter?
About 1,900 people born in the US named Kolter are alive today, with a median age of 3; half are between 2 and 11. That makes Kolter 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.
Kolter by state
How common Kolter was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Oklahoma (5.6×), Nebraska (5.3×), Iowa (5.3×), Utah (3.4×), Kansas (3.4×). In 17 states fewer than five boys a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Kolter: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Kolter, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Kolter
How popular is the name Kolter?
Kolter was the 600th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 476 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 2,192 places. More babies were named Kolter in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Is Kolter a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Kolter in the US.
Where is Kolter most popular?
In 2021–2025, Kolter was most common in South Dakota (1.02 per 1,000 boys), followed by Oklahoma and Nebraska.