Carter
Complete Name Analysis & Etymology Guide
210,119 Total Births
145 Years of Data
2015 Peak Popularity Year
11,395 Peak Births

Carter Name: Complete Etymology, Meaning & Popularity Analysis

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Summary

The name 'Carter' has its roots in Old French, meaning 'transporter of goods.' It evolved from 'cartier' in Old French to 'carter' in Middle English and is now widely used in Modern English. The name is characterized by a sense of practicality and has no biblical relevance. It gained popularity as a surname in medieval times before becoming a first name in the 20th century, and it is currently perceived as a trendy choice. Notable individuals with this name include former President Jimmy Carter and jazz singer Bette Carter.

Etymology & Cultural Background of "Carter"

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Pronunciation

/ˈkɑːrtər/

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Origin

Old French

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Etymology

The name 'Carter' originates from the Old French word 'cartier,' which means 'one who transports goods by cart.' The surname became popular in England after the Norman Conquest in the 11th century.

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Meaning

transporter of goods

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Language Evolution

Old French: cartier, Middle English: carter, Modern English: Carter

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Historical Usage

Carter gained popularity as a surname in medieval England and eventually transitioned into a first name in the 20th century. It has seen a rise in use as a given name in recent years.

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Variants & Derivatives

Cart, Carty

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Modern Popularity & Image

Carter is currently viewed as a modern and trendy name, often associated with creativity and individuality. It has a positive connotation and is popular among new parents.

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Famous People

Jimmy Carter - 39th President of the United States, Bette Carter - American jazz singer, John Carter - American author and creator of the Barsoom series

📊 Carter Name Trend Analysis

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Girl Name Trend

Recent 3-Year Analysis

3-Year Trend: Declining
25-Year Trend: Relatively Stable
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Boy Name Trend

Recent 3-Year Analysis

3-Year Trend: Declining
25-Year Trend: Consistently Rising

Explore More Carter Name Visualizations

✨ Carter Name Meaning & Significance

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Popularity Trend

Highly Popular name with 11,395 peak births in 2015

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Geographic Spread

Popular across 51 US states, with strongest presence in Utah

Historical Span

Data spanning 145 years from 1880 to 2024, showing long-term trends

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Generational Impact

Influenced 14 different American generations with varying popularity

Historical Birth Statistics for the Name "Carter"

Note: Years with identical rankings may represent different numbers of births. Data is sourced from Social Security card applications for births in the United States.

Yearly Ranking History of "Carter"

"Carter" Popularity Across American Generations

Generation Gender Rank Total Names
G.I. Generation (1901-1927) Boy 637th of 7545 1,580
Silent Generation (1928-1945) Boy 635th of 6773 1,697
Baby Boomers (1946-1964) Boy 605th of 7552 2,958
Generation X (Gen X) (1965-1980) Boy 714th of 10718 2,107
Millennials (Gen Y) (1981-1996) Boy 488th of 16616 6,031
Generation Z (Gen Z or Zoomers) (1997-2012) Boy 81st of 24088 83,648
Generation Alpha (2013-2024) Boy 31st of 23106 102,476
G.I. Generation (1901-1927) Girl 6300th of 9107 25
Silent Generation (1928-1945) Girl 5743rd of 9204 36
Baby Boomers (1946-1964) Girl 5308th of 12526 102
Generation X (Gen X) (1965-1980) Girl 6026th of 19264 128
Millennials (Gen Y) (1981-1996) Girl 3419th of 27321 472
Generation Z (Gen Z or Zoomers) (1997-2012) Girl 1745th of 35406 1,828
Generation Alpha (2013-2024) Girl 550th of 30306 6,766

Regional Popularity of "Carter" by Generation for Male Names

TOP(%) MidWest Northeast South West
G.I. Generation
(1901-1927)
44.28%
627th/1416
- 22.91%
542nd/2366
71.10%
812th/1142
Silent Generation
(1928-1945)
41.20%
637th/1546
48.26%
751st/1556
24.44%
575th/2353
51.20%
792nd/1547
Baby Boomers
(1946-1964)
26.36%
587th/2227
28.72%
698th/2430
19.56%
558th/2853
23.86%
662nd/2775
Generation X (Gen X)
(1965-1980)
25.16%
739th/2937
24.29%
846th/3483
20.10%
707th/3518
18.42%
745th/4044
Millennials (Gen Y)
(1981-1996)
11.02%
406th/3685
13.47%
603rd/4475
9.24%
480th/5194
7.95%
502nd/6317
Generation Z (Gen Z or Zoomers)
(1997-2012)
1.07%
49th/4582
1.86%
96th/5164
1.23%
90th/7313
1.50%
112th/7463
Generation Alpha
(2013-2024)
0.38%
15th/3984
0.69%
31st/4487
0.40%
27th/6822
0.91%
57th/6276

Regional Popularity of "Carter" by Generation for Female Names

TOP(%) MidWest Northeast South West
G.I. Generation
(1901-1927)
- - - -
Silent Generation
(1928-1945)
- - - -
Baby Boomers
(1946-1964)
- - - -
Generation X (Gen X)
(1965-1980)
- - - -
Millennials (Gen Y)
(1981-1996)
- - 40.85%
2122nd/5194
-
Generation Z (Gen Z or Zoomers)
(1997-2012)
53.99%
2474th/4582
53.47%
2761st/5164
17.20%
1258th/7313
37.08%
2767th/7463
Generation Alpha
(2013-2024)
14.96%
596th/3984
17.67%
793rd/4487
6.60%
450th/6822
10.09%
633rd/6276

State-by-State Popularity of "Carter"

This map shows the relative popularity of "Carter" across states, calculated by dividing the number of births with this name in each state by the total births in that state. This methodology provides a standardized measure of popularity regardless of state population size.

Comprehensive Regional & Generational Popularity Trends of "Carter" in the United States

The name Carter is most popular in Utah, USA across all generations. It ranks highest as a Boy name among the Generation Alpha generation in the MidWest region. Recent 3-year trends show this Girl name is declining in usage, while the 25-year trend indicates it has been relatively stable. Recent 3-year trends show this Boy name is declining in usage, while the 25-year trend indicates it has been consistently rising. From 2020-2022, Carter has been too rising for male in MidWest, stalled for female in MidWest, too falling for male in Northeast, stalled for female in Northeast, too rising for male in South, falling for female in South, too rising for male in West, falling for female in West. The long-term 25-year analysis reveals it has been too falling for male in MidWest, stalled for female in MidWest, too falling for male in Northeast, stalled for female in Northeast, too falling for male in South, too falling for female in South, too falling for male in West, stalled for female in West. Across generations, 'Carter' has shown interesting popularity patterns: Among the G.I. Generation (1901-1927), it ranked 637th out of 7545 names. Among the Silent Generation (1928-1945), it ranked 635th out of 6773 names. Among the Baby Boomers (1946-1964), it ranked 605th out of 7552 names. Among the Generation X (Gen X) (1965-1980), it ranked 714th out of 10718 names. Among the Millennials (Gen Y) (1981-1996), it ranked 488th out of 16616 names. Among the Generation Z (Gen Z or Zoomers) (1997-2012), it ranked 81st out of 24088 names. Among the Generation Alpha (2013-2024), it ranked 31st out of 23106 names. Among the G.I. Generation (1901-1927), it ranked 6300th out of 9107 names. Among the Silent Generation (1928-1945), it ranked 5743rd out of 9204 names. Among the Baby Boomers (1946-1964), it ranked 5308th out of 12526 names. Among the Generation X (Gen X) (1965-1980), it ranked 6026th out of 19264 names. Among the Millennials (Gen Y) (1981-1996), it ranked 3419th out of 27321 names. Among the Generation Z (Gen Z or Zoomers) (1997-2012), it ranked 1745th out of 35406 names. Among the Generation Alpha (2013-2024), it ranked 550th out of 30306 names. Discover how the name 'Carter' has evolved through American history with our comprehensive regional and generational analysis.

Infographic: Carter name meaning, origin, and popularity trends in the United States (US baby name analysis chart)
[600x500px image] Etymology and historical popularity of Carter,