The first name Carter
A boy’s name from Irish meaning “son of arthur”.
Pronounced /ˈkɑɹɾɚ/ 2 syllables Male Also a surname
Meaning and origin
Irish origin
Carter means “son of arthur” in Irish.
As an English name, from the occupation carter. As an Irish name, from Irish Mac Artúir (literally “son of Arthur”).
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 536 boys were named Carter, making it the 97th most popular boys’ name. It peaked in 2018, with 1,030 births (#60).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Carter with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Carter at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 6,024 boys born in the United States were named Carter, the 45th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 2015, when 10,814 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Carter in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Spelled Carter in Polish too.
Famous people named Carter
24 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Carter JenkinsAmerican actor, born 1991
- Carter BurwellAmerican film composer (born 1954)
- Carter CruiseAmerican pornographic actress, born 1991
- Carter BraxtonAmerican politician (1736-1797), signer of the Declaration of Independence
- Carter GlassAmerican politician (1858–1946)
- Carter Godwin WoodsonAmerican historian, writer, and journalist (1875–1950)
- Carter DeHavenActor, director, writer (1886-1977)
- Carter BaysAmerican television writer and producer, born 1975
- Joseph Carter AbbottAmerican general, senator (1825-1881)
- Carter HartCanadian ice hockey player, born 1998
- Carter BeaufordAmerican musician, born 1957
- Carter HuttonCanadian ice hockey player, born 1985
More Irish boys’ names
Questions
- What does the name Carter mean?
- Carter means “son of arthur” in Irish.
- What is the origin of the name Carter?
- As an English name, from the occupation carter. As an Irish name, from Irish Mac Artúir (literally “son of Arthur”).
- How popular is the name Carter?
- In 2025, 536 boys born in England and Wales were named Carter, ranking 97th. Its peak was 2018, with 1,030 births.
- Is Carter a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a boy's name: 95% of the 216,871 US babies named Carter since 1880 were boys.
- When was Carter most popular?
- 2015 in the United States, when 10,814 babies were named Carter, its highest rank at 24th.
- How do you pronounce Carter?
- Carter is /ˈkɑɹɾɚ/, 2 syllables.
- Is Carter also a surname?
- Yes. Carter is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.