Carter is a unisex given name of English origin, derived from the surname which has its roots in medieval England. The surname Carter was an occupational name for a transporter or carrier of goods, coming from the Middle English word "carte", meaning cart.
The name Carter has been used as a given name since the 19th century, but it gained popularity in the mid-20th century and became particularly fashionable in the United States during the 1990s. Today, Carter is considered a modern classic and continues to be popular among parents looking for strong, distinctive names.
Historically, there are no significant figures or events associated with the name Carter that have contributed to its fame or popularity. However, notable people named Carter include former US President Jimmy Carter, actor Ellar Coltrane who played Mason in the film Boyhood, and American musician and fashion designer Carter Burwell.
Overall, Carter is a robust and stylish name choice that has an appealing simplicity and a strong, masculine sound. Its meaning as a carrier of goods or transporter gives it an energetic and dynamic connotation that might appeal to parents looking for names with positive associations.
The name Carter has seen significant fluctuations in popularity over the years, with a notable rise in recent decades. From 1881 to around 1976, the number of annual births with the name Carter hovered between single digits and low double digits, rarely exceeding 50 births per year. However, beginning in the late 1970s, there was a marked increase in popularity, with over 100 births per year becoming commonplace.
In the 1980s and 1990s, the number of annual births continued to climb, reaching heights such as 265 in 1988, 334 in 1990, and 487 in 1992. The turn of the century brought even more popularity for the name Carter, with over a thousand births per year becoming routine by the early 2000s.
Since then, Carter has maintained its status as one of the most popular names, with over 500 births per year from 2004 onwards. The peak occurred in 2015 with 10811 births, and while it has since decreased somewhat, Carter remains a highly popular choice among parents.
Overall, the statistics show that while Carter was once quite uncommon, it has become one of the most popular names in recent decades, with tens of thousands of babies being given this name over the past century.