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Carter

Carter is a boy's name of Irish and Celtic origin meaning “one who uses a cart.” In 2024 it was given to 6,267 boys in the United States.

Carter at a glance

Gender
Boy name
Origin
Irish & Celtic · English & American
Meaning
“one who uses a cart”
Pronunciation
/ˈkɑɹɾɚ/
Also spelled
Irish

About the name Carter

Carter belongs to the Irish & Celtic and English & American tradition. Its meaning — “one who uses a cart” — is the sense carried by its Irish and Celtic roots, and it is the meaning we verified against published sources for this page. It travels in a few spellings: Irish.

In the United States, Carter first appears in Social Security records in 1881. It climbed to its best-ever rank of #24 in 2015, and in 2024 6,267 babies received the name — 200,762 in total since 1880. Those are the official counts, not estimates.

Carter in US records

First recorded (US)
1881
Best US rank
#24 in 2015
Peak year
2015
Babies named Carter in 2024
6,267
Total since 1880
200,762

Spellings & short forms

Irish

Similar names

More names from the Irish & Celtic shelf:

DonaldIrish and CelticKennethIrish and CelticKevinIrish and CelticBrianIrish and CelticRonaldIrish and CelticRyanIrish and CelticScottIrish and CelticBrandonIrish and Celtic

Frequently asked questions

What does the name Carter mean?

Carter means “one who uses a cart” in its Irish and Celtic roots. We check every meaning against published sources before it appears here.

Is Carter a boy or girl name?

Carter is a boy name. In 2024, 6,267 babies received the name in the US.

What origin is the name Carter?

Carter comes from the Irish & Celtic and English & American tradition. It is also spelled Irish.

How popular is the name Carter?

Carter first appears in US records in 1881. Its best-ever ranking was #24 in 2015, and 6,267 babies were given the name in 2024.

How do you pronounce Carter?

Carter is pronounced /ˈkɑɹɾɚ/ (IPA).

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Meaning and origin for this page were checked against this source. US popularity figures are from the Social Security Administration's public baby-names data. If you spot an error, write to [email protected] — accuracy is the whole point of this site, and corrections are made fast.