Spelling comparison
Carter vs Karter
2025 US records for these exact spellings: Carter 6,703 and Karter 1,521. Carter’s share of that pair is 81.5%. The multiple is about 4.4 times the published count of Karter.
US national data through 2025 · Source retrieved
Data updated
The two spellings share a Little Names spelling key. Carter profile · Karter profile
Carter and Karter name the same child-name in two spellings. The tables below never merge those rows into a single total. Carter and Karter use the same number of letters, so the contrast is which letters appear. Carter uses “C” where Karter uses “K”, before “arter”.
From 1985 through 2025, every year in which both spellings were published had the same leader on the combined count. There is no crossover in that overlap.
Carter is first published in these national files in 1881, and Karter in 1985. Carter’s larger 2025 category is male. Karter’s larger 2025 category is male. Carter led 5 decades among decades in which both spellings have a published total.
Inside 2016–2025, the widest combined gap was 8,388 records in 2016, and the closest year was 2023 (a gap of 4,572). Of the combined 2025 records for this pair (8,224), Carter is 81.5% and Karter is 18.5%.
2016–2025, count and rank
2016: Carter led 2016 by 8,388 published records (10,923 to 2,535). Carter and Karter stay separate rows; 10,923 and 2,535 are not a combined baby-name total. In 2017, Carter had 602 female records (rank #520) and 9,833 male records (rank #24); Karter had 351 female records (rank #783) and 2,286 male records (rank #174). Carter led 2017 by 7,798 published records (10,435 to 2,637). 2018 belongs to Carter. Carter had 655 female records (rank #479) and 9,385 male records (rank #24); Karter had 312 female records (rank #872) and 2,239 male records (rank #176). The gap that year was 7,489 records. For 2019, compare the categories separately: Carter had 611 female records (rank #514) and 8,682 male records (rank #30); Karter had 370 female records (rank #759) and 2,425 male records (rank #163). Carter led 2019 by 6,498 published records (9,293 to 2,795), and the smaller spelling is Karter. Carter was the higher published spelling in 2020, with 587 female records (rank #515) and 7,577 male records (rank #33) against 297 female records (rank #893) and 2,340 male records (rank #162) for Karter. The 2021 national file shows Carter led 2021 by 5,589 published records (7,827 to 2,238). Read as exact spellings: Carter had 622 female records (rank #501) and 7,205 male records (rank #39); Karter had 319 female records (rank #861) and 1,919 male records (rank #201). 2022: Carter led 2022 by 4,859 published records (6,914 to 2,055). Carter and Karter stay separate rows; 6,914 and 2,055 are not a combined baby-name total. In 2023, Carter had 594 female records (rank #510) and 5,878 male records (rank #48); Karter had 303 female records (rank #889) and 1,597 male records (rank #225). Carter led 2023 by 4,572 published records (6,472 to 1,900). 2024 belongs to Carter. Carter had 605 female records (rank #508) and 6,289 male records (rank #46); Karter had 257 female records (rank #1,001) and 1,431 male records (rank #248). The gap that year was 5,206 records. For 2025, compare the categories separately: Carter had 679 female records (rank #454) and 6,024 male records (rank #45); Karter had 256 female records (rank #989) and 1,265 male records (rank #270). Carter led 2025 by 5,182 published records (6,703 to 1,521), and the smaller spelling is Karter.
| Year | Carter female count | Carter female rank | Carter male count | Carter male rank | Karter female count | Karter female rank | Karter male count | Karter male rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 703 | 457 | 10,220 | 26 | 410 | 702 | 2,125 | 190 |
| 2017 | 602 | 520 | 9,833 | 24 | 351 | 783 | 2,286 | 174 |
| 2018 | 655 | 479 | 9,385 | 24 | 312 | 872 | 2,239 | 176 |
| 2019 | 611 | 514 | 8,682 | 30 | 370 | 759 | 2,425 | 163 |
| 2020 | 587 | 515 | 7,577 | 33 | 297 | 893 | 2,340 | 162 |
| 2021 | 622 | 501 | 7,205 | 39 | 319 | 861 | 1,919 | 201 |
| 2022 | 553 | 550 | 6,361 | 47 | 312 | 892 | 1,743 | 217 |
| 2023 | 594 | 510 | 5,878 | 48 | 303 | 889 | 1,597 | 225 |
| 2024 | 605 | 508 | 6,289 | 46 | 257 | 1,001 | 1,431 | 248 |
| 2025 | 679 | 454 | 6,024 | 45 | 256 | 989 | 1,265 | 270 |
Combined counts, 1880–2025
Each line adds the published female and male counts for that spelling. A gap is a year with no published observation, not a zero. Carter is the warm line and Karter is the cool line.
Which spelling led each decade
The 1880s total is one-sided: 100 published records for Carter, and no published 1880s count for Karter. The 1890s total is one-sided: 134 published records for Carter, and no published 1890s count for Karter. The 1900s total is one-sided: 199 published records for Carter, and no published 1900s count for Karter. The 1910s total is one-sided: 685 published records for Carter, and no published 1910s count for Karter. The 1920s total is one-sided: 901 published records for Carter, and no published 1920s count for Karter. The 1930s total is one-sided: 876 published records for Carter, and no published 1930s count for Karter. The 1940s total is one-sided: 1,378 published records for Carter, and no published 1940s count for Karter. The 1950s total is one-sided: 1,676 published records for Carter, and no published 1950s count for Karter. The 1960s total is one-sided: 1,390 published records for Carter, and no published 1960s count for Karter. The 1970s total is one-sided: 1,457 published records for Carter, and no published 1970s count for Karter. Carter was the 1980s leader, 1,844 published records against 5 for Karter. The 1990s files give 10,248 published records to Carter and 241 to Karter, so Carter led the decade. Carter was the 2000s leader, 53,340 published records against 2,286 for Karter. The 2010s files give 99,669 published records to Carter and 19,481 to Karter, so Carter led the decade. Carter was the 2020s leader, 42,974 published records against 12,039 for Karter.
Top states in 2025
Carter’s highest 2025 state counts, combining published female and male rows where both exist, are Texas (559), California (446), Florida (401), New York (315), Ohio (307). Karter’s highest 2025 state counts, combining published female and male rows where both exist, are Texas (163), Georgia (96), Florida (90), North Carolina (72), California (60). Texas, California, Florida are in the top states for both spellings. A state can rank differently for each spelling because the counts are not merged.