How popular is the baby name Carter in the United States right now? How popular was it historically? Use the popularity graph and data table below to find out! Plus, see all the blog posts that mention the name Carter.

The graph will take a few moments to load. (Don't worry, it shouldn't take 9 months!) If it's taking too long, try reloading the page.


Popularity of the baby name Carter


Posts that mention the name Carter

Girl names that end with an R-sound

Girl names that end with an R-sound

In the U.S., most of the names given to baby girls end with a vowel sound. And many of the remaining names end with an N-sound.

So, what about girl names that end with other sounds?

Below is a selection of girl names that end with an R-sound, regardless of last letter. The names are ordered by current popularity.

Harper
From the English surname, which originally referred to a person who played the harp. Here’s the popularity graph for Harper.

Eleanor
From the Occitan name Alienor, which may mean “the other Aenor.” Here’s the popularity graph for Eleanor.

Claire
A French form of the name Clara. Here’s the popularity graph for Claire.

Skylar
Based on the Dutch surname Schuyler, meaning “scholar.” Here’s the popularity graph for Skylar.

Piper
From the English surname, which originally referred to a person who played the pipe (a type of wind instrument). Here’s the popularity graph for Piper.

Juniper
From the type of tree. Here’s the popularity graph for Juniper.

Parker
From the English surname, which originally referred to a person employed as the keeper of a hunting park. Here’s the popularity graph for Parker.

Esther
A name from the Hebrew Bible that may be based on the Persian word for “star.” Here’s the popularity graph for Esther.

River
From the English vocabulary word. Here’s the popularity graph for River.

Summer
From the season. Here’s the popularity graph for Summer.

Ember
From the English vocabulary word. Here’s the popularity graph for Ember.

Saylor
Based on the English word sailor — though it also happens to be an English surname meaning “dancer.” Here’s the popularity graph for Saylor.

Taylor
From the English surname, which originally referred to a person who worked as a tailor. Here’s the popularity graph for Taylor.

Sawyer
From the English surname, which originally referred to a person who sawed wood. Here’s the popularity graph for Sawyer.

Blair
From the Scottish surname, which is derived from the place name Blair, meaning “field” (often “battlefield”). Here’s the popularity graph for Blair.

Palmer
From the English surname, which originally referred to a pilgrim. Here’s the popularity graph for Palmer.

Winter
From the season. Here’s the popularity graph for Winter.

Jennifer
A Cornish form of the name Guinevere. Here’s the popularity graph for Jennifer.

Briar
From the English vocabulary word that refers to a thorny plant. Here’s the popularity graph for Briar.

Amber
The type of precious stone (which is actually fossilized tree resin). Here’s the popularity graph for Amber.

Carter
From the English surname, which originally referred to a person who transported goods. Here’s the popularity graph for Carter.

Dior
From the French fashion house Dior, named for founder Christian Dior. Here’s the popularity graph for Dior.

Clover
From the type of small plant. Here’s the popularity graph for Clover.

Treasure
From the English vocabulary word. Here’s the popularity graph for Treasure.

Noor
An Arabic word meaning “light.” Here’s the popularity graph for Noor.

Kimber
A nickname for Kimberly. Here’s the popularity graph for Kimber.

Hunter
From the English and Scottish surname, which originally referred to a huntsman. Here’s the popularity graph for Hunter.

Baylor
From the English surname, which originally referred to a person who delivered goods. Here’s the popularity graph for Baylor.

Denver
From the English surname, which is derived from the place name Denver, meaning “Dane’s ford.” Here’s the popularity graph for Denver.

Sapphire
From the type of precious stone (which is typically blue). Here’s the popularity graph for Sapphire.

Guinevere
Based on the Welsh name Gwenhwyfar, which may mean “white phantom.” Here’s the popularity graph for Guinevere.

Chandler
From the English surname, which originally referred to a person who made or sold candles. Here’s the popularity graph for Chandler.

Spencer
From the English surname, which originally referred to a person who “dispensed provisions or money.” Here’s the popularity graph for Spencer.

Miller
From the English surname, which originally referred to a person who owned or operated a mill. Here’s the popularity graph for Miller.

Ryder
From the English and Irish surname, which originally referred to a horseman (though it also has several other possible derivations). Here’s the popularity graph for Ryder.

Lavender
From the type of plant that produces fragrant flowers. Here’s the popularity graph for Lavender.

Heather
From the type of flowering plant. Here’s the popularity graph for Heather.

Pepper
From the type of spice. Here’s the popularity graph for Pepper.

Jupiter
From the planet (or the Roman god). Here’s the popularity graph for Jupiter.

Adore
From the English vocabulary word. Here’s the popularity graph for Adore.

Ever
From the English vocabulary word. Here’s the popularity graph for Ever.

Amor
A Spanish and Portuguese word meaning “love.” Here’s the popularity graph for Amor.

Honor
From the English vocabulary word. Here’s the popularity graph for Honor.

Flor
A Spanish and Portuguese word meaning “flower.” Here’s the popularity graph for Flor.

Baker
From the English surname, which originally referred either to a person employed as a baker or to “the owner of a communal oven used by the whole village.” Here’s the popularity graph for Baker.

Desire
From the English vocabulary word. Here’s the popularity graph for Desire.

Star
From the English vocabulary word. Here’s the popularity graph for Star.

Jadore
From the French phrase j’adore, meaning “I adore” or “I love.” Here’s the popularity graph for Jadore.

Greer
From the Scottish surname, which is derived from the name Gregor. Here’s the popularity graph for Greer.

Cedar
From the type of tree. Here’s the popularity graph for Cedar.


Less-common girl names that end with an R-sound include Harbor, Tamar, Vesper, Pilar, Hajar, Azure, and Larimar.

Which of the above do you like most? What others can you think of?

Sources:

  • SSA
  • Behind the Name
  • Hanks, Patrick, Kate Hardcastle and Flavia Hodges. (Eds.) A Dictionary of First Names. New York: Oxford University Press, 2006.
  • Hanks, Patrick. (Ed.) Dictionary of American Family Names. New York: Oxford University Press, 2003.

Popular baby names in Johnston County (North Carolina), 2023 & 2022

Flag of North Carolina
Flag of North Carolina

In 2023, North Carolina’s Johnston County welcomed 1,931 babies — 950 girls and 981 boys.

What were the most popular names among these babies? Charlotte and Liam.

Here are Johnston County’s top 10+ girl names and top 10+ boy names of 2023:

Girl names, 2023

  1. Charlotte
  2. Olivia & Sophia (tie)
  3. Camila, Emma, Isabelle & Scarlett (4-way tie)
  4. Abigail & Amelia (tie)
  5. Delilah
  6. Ava, Eliana, Elizabeth, Layla, Luna & Willow (6-way tie)
  7. Chloe, Ellie, Emily, Harper, Hazel, Mia, Paisley, Sadie & Sofia (9-way tie)
  8. Eliza, Kinsley, Leah, Leilani & Presley (5-way tie)
  9. Evelyn, Genesis, Kailani, Lucy, Madison, Raelynn, Riley, Valentina & Victoria (9-way tie)
  10. Adalyn, Autumn, Isabel, Ivey, Jade, Josie, Kaylani, Lainey, Madeline, Madelyn, Milani, Nova, Penelope, Peyton, Samantha, Violet, Whitley & Zoe (18-way tie)

Boy names, 2023

  1. Liam
  2. Noah
  3. Sebastian
  4. William
  5. Asher & Levi (tie)
  6. Julian & Mateo
  7. Carter, Elijah, Grayson, Lucas, Waylon (5-way tie)
  8. Aiden & Chase (tie)
  9. Benjamin, Carson, Charles, Christopher, Hudson, Jackson, Joseph, Maverick, Oliver, Thomas & Wyatt (11-way tie)
  10. Alexander, Amir, Angel, Elias, Ezra, Gael, Ian, Josiah, Legend, Leonardo, Owen & Samuel (12-way tie)

The county’s 2022 rankings — topped by Charlotte and Noah — included total numbers of babies:

Girl names, 2022

  1. Charlotte, 12 baby girls
  2. Amelia & Scarlett, 11 each (tie)
  3. Ava, Harper & Sophia, 10 each (3-way tie)
  4. Camila & Isabella, 9 each (tie)
  5. Elizabeth, 8
  6. Emma, Olivia, & Paisley, 7 each (3-way tie)
  7. Abigail, Ella, Kinsley, Luna, Mia, Riley & Willow, 6 each (7-way tie)
  8. Angela, Brooklyn, Delilah, Ellie, Emily, Everly, Gianna, Hannah, Kailani, Layla, Leah, Madelyn & Savannah, 5 each (13-way tie)
  9. Addison, Andrea, Ashley, Aurora, Avery, Belen, Bella, Carsyn, Chloe, Eleanor, Julia, Lydia, Magnolia & Violet, 4 each (14-way tie)
  10. Ada, Alora, Alyssa, Aria, Callie, Carolina, Elena, Eliana, Eliza, Elliana, Emely, Evelyn, Genesis, Genevieve, Grace, Gracie, Khloe, Lillian, Lilly, Lily, Lucy, Madilyn, Madison, Naomi, Peyton, Presley, Ryleigh, Sara, Skylar, Sofia, Stephanie & Zara, 3 each (32-way tie)

Boy names, 2022

  1. Noah, 16 baby boys
  2. Liam, 12
  3. Mason, 11
  4. Oliver, 10
  5. William & Wyatt, 9 each (tie)
  6. Carter, Jayden & Sebastian, 8 (3-way tie)
  7. Elijah, Lucas, Mateo & Waylon, 7 each (4-way tie)
  8. Alexander, Angel, Asher, Christopher, Dylan, Elias, Ethan, Henry, Isaac, Lincoln & Nathan, 6 each (11-way tie)
  9. Amir, Eli, Jacob, Jameson, Jaxon, River, Ryan & Thomas, 5 each (8-way tie)
  10. Anthony, Chance, Charles, Hendrix, Hudson, Ivan, Jackson, Jordan, Julian, Leo, Levi, Logan, Luke, Matthew, Maverick & Ryder, 4 each (16-way tie)

If you’d like to go back even further, here are links to earlier sets of baby name rankings for Johnston County:

  • 2021 (top names: Olivia and Liam)
  • 2020 (top names: Olivia and Noah)
  • 2019 (top names: Emma and Liam)
  • 2018 (top names: Olivia and Elijah)
  • 2017 (top names: Ava and Liam)

Sources: Top Baby Names of 2023 – Johnston County Register of Deeds, Top 2023 Baby Names In Johnston County – JoCo Report, 2022 Top Johnston County Baby Names – JoCo Report

Image: Adapted from Flag of North Carolina (public domain)

Popular baby names on Nantucket, 2023

Flag of Massachusetts
Flag of Massachusetts

The Massachusetts island of Nantucket, which sits about 30 miles off the coast Cape Cod, is home to over 14,000 year-round residents (though the population “swells to around 80,000 or more” during July and August).

According to the Nantucket Town Clerk’s office, a total of 158 babies were born on the island in 2023. But we only have access to the names of 108 of these babies. Why?

[B]ecause of a Massachusetts law that separates birth certificates based on the parent’s marital status. If the parents were not married at the time of the birth or the father is not named on the record, the birth certificate is considered a restricted record and is not public.

So, out of the 108 known names, which were the most popular? For girls it was a tie between Leah and Sarah (given to two babies each), and for boys it was a tie between Grayson and Lucas (also given to two babies each).

The 100 other babies were given 100 single-use names:

Archibald, Abigail, Abraham, Alejandro, Alister, Alyssa, Alvaro, Amina, Andrew, Asher, Aurora, Bayard, Beckett, Benjaminas, Brenda, Callan, Carter, Catherine, Cameron, Charlotte, Christiaan, Colin, Cole, Cooper, Curren, Damien, Daniel, Debora, Eden, Edwin, Edward, Emilia, Emma, Enzo, Evelyn, Ezra, Fabian, Fae, Fiona, Gaby, Gabriella, Greydon, Griffyn, Harbor, Henry, Israel, Jacob, Jaden, James, Jantyah, Jefferson, Joshua, Julie, Justina, Kairi, Kiara, Lakelyn, La’Klia, Larkin, Latifa, Leon, Liv, Luna, Lydia, Mabel, Madison, Marianne, Marlow, Matheus, Maverick, Max, Mia, Mila, Milo, Miles, Mukhammadyusuf, Nia, Penelope, Quinn, River, Robin, Roman, Samir, Scarlett, Sergio, Shay, Shepard, Silverio, Skye, Stephanie, Sullivan, Theodore, Therdore, Tiller, Timothy, Wilder, William, Yasna, Yvonne, Zaniyah

Tiller caught my eye — it may have come from the English surname (which originally referred to someone who tilled the soil), but, given the location, I’m hoping it was inspired by the tiller of a boat. Maybe Tiller will become the boaters’ version of Taylor/Tyler? :)

Olivia and Liam — the top names in Boston last year — are nowhere to be found on Nantucket’s list, interestingly.

Sources:

Image: Adapted from Flag of Massachusetts (public domain)

Popular baby names in Canada, 2022

Flag of Canada
Flag of Canada

The vast country of Canada is located in North America and shares the world’s longest international land border with its neighbor to the south, the United States.

Last year, Canada (excluding Yukon) welcomed 351,679 babies — 48.6% of which were girls, 51.4% of which were boys.

What were the most popular names among these babies? Olivia and Noah.

Here are Canada’s top 50 girl names and top 50 boy names of 2022:

Girl Names

  1. Olivia, 1,804 baby girls
  2. Emma, 1,550
  3. Charlotte, 1,475
  4. Amelia, 1,193
  5. Sophia, 1,079
  6. Chloe, 1,057
  7. Mia, 946
  8. Ava, 923
  9. Lily, 861
  10. Mila, 847
  11. Alice, 786
  12. Isla, 769
  13. Sofia, 763
  14. Evelyn, 751
  15. Abigail, 715
  16. Sophie, 712
  17. Nora, 708
  18. Charlie, 700
  19. Ellie, 680
  20. Zoe, 661
  21. Maya, 658
  22. Isabella, 656
  23. Ella, 634
  24. Clara, 618
  25. Elizabeth, 617
  26. Aria, 610
  27. Violet, 599
  28. Rose, 593
  29. Eva, 578
  30. Hannah, 577
  31. Emily, 575 (tie)
  32. Luna, 575 (tie)
  33. Ivy, 562
  34. Harper, 560
  35. Florence, 557
  36. Scarlett, 519
  37. Victoria, 514
  38. Hazel, 513
  39. Julia, 492
  40. Avery, 490
  41. Madison, 488
  42. Zoey, 474
  43. Eleanor, 467
  44. Grace, 448 (tie)
  45. Livia, 448 (tie)
  46. Emilia, 447
  47. Layla, 437
  48. Aurora, 435
  49. Lea, 434
  50. Willow, 430

Boy Names

  1. Noah, 2,198 baby boys
  2. Liam, 1,902
  3. William, 1,516
  4. Leo, 1,447
  5. Theodore, 1,423
  6. Oliver, 1,273
  7. Benjamin, 1,217
  8. Thomas, 1,205
  9. Lucas, 1,187
  10. Jack, 1,186
  11. James, 1,141
  12. Jacob, 1,105
  13. Nathan, 1,047
  14. Logan, 1,044
  15. Ethan, 1,040
  16. Adam, 977
  17. Theo, 932
  18. Jackson, 907
  19. Owen, 891
  20. Henry, 870
  21. Levi, 831
  22. Arthur, 807
  23. Felix, 806
  24. Gabriel, 777
  25. Samuel, 753
  26. Charles, 749
  27. Luca, 719
  28. Hudson, 663
  29. Nolan, 651
  30. Alexander, 647
  31. Daniel, 644
  32. Mason, 622
  33. Caleb, 613
  34. Louis, 604
  35. Jayden, 595 (tie)
  36. Muhammad, 595 (tie)
  37. Elijah, 593
  38. Aiden, 584
  39. Maverick, 581
  40. Isaac, 579
  41. Ryan, 538
  42. Wyatt, 521
  43. Carter, 520
  44. Luke, 516
  45. Elliot, 499 (tie)
  46. Lincoln, 499 (tie)
  47. Eli, 496
  48. Grayson, 495
  49. Edouard, 492
  50. Mateo, 489

The names in Canada’s top 100 that rose the fastest from 2021 to 2022 were:

  • Wren, Blake, Eloise, Freya, Athena, and Gabriella (girl names)
  • Leon, Ali, Cooper, Rowan, Charlie, Luke, and Sebastian (boy names)

And here’s a selection of names from the other end of the spectrum — names that were given to just 5 babies each in Canada last year:

Rare girl namesRare boy names
Aberdeen, Becca, Charis, Dorcas, Everlyn, Farida, Guntas, Hadeel, Iremide, Jolianne, Khawla, Lumina, Mavi, Nichelle, Opale, Perrie, Rhya, Sylia, Tavisha, Uma, Verna, Wilder, Yoadan, ZaynahAlborz, Brandt, Cornelius, Dryden, Espen, Fabrice, Gurjot, Hades, Indy, Jesper, Kuzey, Lorne, Mederic, Nima, Onkar, Poseidon, Rorik, Solal, Theeran, Udayvir, Viansh, Wesson, Yvan, Zeno

The names used even less frequently — between one and four times — “accounted for 86% of all baby names in 2022.”

Finally, here are Canada’s 2021 rankings, if you’d like to compare last year to the year before.

Sources: First names at birth by sex at birth, selected indicators – Statistics Canada, Canada’s most popular baby names in 2022 – Statistics Canada, Births, 2022 – Statistics Canada, Canada – Wikipedia

Image: Adapted from Flag of Canada (public domain)