Boy Names Like Carter

Boy Names Like Carter

Carter is cool as they come. A surname name and occupational name, Carter fits into two of the hottest boy name trends today. But after nearly 10 years of ranking in the US Top 100, it may be time for some fresh alternatives.

Last names as first names include Truman, Jennings, Ledger, Ryland, and Calder. Occupational names include Porter, Miller, Carver, Baylor, and Collier.

Other cool boy names include Griffin, Lennox, Rhys, Killian, and Clark.

Here are 50 alternatives to Carter, ordered by their current popularity on Nameberry.

RELATED:

Last Names as First Names

Occupational Names

Boy Names That Start With C

  1. Jude
    • Origin:

      Latin diminutive of Judah, Hebrew, Arabic
    • Meaning:

      "praised; to be generous, to be good to others"
    • Description:

      Jude is a modern star, maintaining a steady level of popularity -- but not TOO much popularity, in the US at least. Thank Jude Law and the great Lennon-McCartney song "Hey Jude", double-handedly responsible for propelling Jude up the charts.
  2. Beckett
    • Origin:

      English and Irish
    • Meaning:

      "bee hive, little brook or bee cottage"
    • Description:

      Beckett is one of the big baby name hits of the decade.
  3. Lachlan
    • Origin:

      Scottish
    • Meaning:

      "from the fjord-land"
    • Description:

      Lachlan is as Scottish as haggis and tartan plaid kilts—a favorite used throughout England, Scotland, Australia, and New Zealand—and just beginning to be noticed in the US: it reached the Top 1000 for the first time in 2013. An ancient name, Lachlan was originally used to describe the Viking invaders of Scotland, those from the land of the lochs.
  4. Archer
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "bowman"
    • Description:

      Archer is an Anglo-Saxon surname that feels more modern than most because of its on-target occupational and Hunger Games associations. And it's a nice way to bypass the clunky Archibald to get to the cool nickname Archie.
  5. Rhys
    • Origin:

      Welsh
    • Meaning:

      "ardor"
    • Description:

      Rugged but gentle, Rhys is the traditional Welsh spelling of this name, which can also be anglicized as Reese or Reece. Up until 2010, Reese was the preferred spelling in the US, perhaps because parents were concerned about mispronunciation. However, Rhys has since taken over for boys and is now used twice as often as Reese.
  6. Sayer
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "woodcutter or reciter"
    • Description:

      One of the more subtle occupational surnames, Sayer is a pleasant, open, last-name-first name, particularly apt for a family of woodworkers -- or writers.
  7. Griffin
    • Origin:

      Welsh, variation of Griffith
    • Meaning:

      "strong lord"
    • Description:

      Griffin is one of the newer and most appealing of the two-syllable Celtic surnames. In English, griffin is the name of a mythological creature, half eagle, half lion. It re-entered the list in 1983 after an absence of 75+ years.
  8. Hayes
    • Origin:

      English surname and nature name
    • Meaning:

      "hedged area"
    • Description:

      One of those simple, straightforward English surnames -- and with a presidential pedigree -- that's easy to translate into a first. Chosen by both Kevin Costner and Jessica Alba for their sons, it has been climbing the US charts since 2009.
  9. Jonah
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "dove"
    • Description:

      Jonah, the name of the Old Testament prophet who was swallowed by the whale, only to emerge unharmed three days later, is increasingly appreciated by parents looking for a biblical name less common than Jacob or Joshua, yet not too obscure. Plus, Jonah comes with a ready-made nursery-decorating motif.
  10. Clark
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "scribe, secretary, cleric, scholar, clerk"
    • Description:

      Clark seemed to have been Gone with the Wind, but parents looking for a short, strong boy's name are now beginning to appreciate its cool combination of Gable charm with Superman power.
  11. Rhett
    • Origin:

      English from Dutch
    • Meaning:

      "advice"
    • Description:

      Rhett has been more tied to Gone with the Wind than even Scarlett, but now we're hearing rumblings of its finding new and independent favor among parents, perhaps emboldened by the growing popularity of Scarlett.
  12. Auden
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "old friend"
    • Description:

      The poetic, soft-spoken Auden has recently started to be considered as a first name option, used for both sexes, appreciated for its pleasing sound as well as its link to the distinguished modern Anglo-American poet W.H. Auden.
  13. Lennox
    • Origin:

      Scottish
    • Meaning:

      "elm grove"
    • Description:

      Lennox is an aristocratic and powerful Scottish surname name made truly special by that final x. The worldwide fame of British boxer--World and Olympic champion--Lennox Claudius Lewis brought the name into the spotlight as a first name, while as a last it's tied to Eurythmics singer Annie L.
  14. Maddox
    • Origin:

      Welsh
    • Meaning:

      "son of Madoc"
    • Description:

      Maddox, a previously obscure Welsh family name with a powerfully masculine image, suddenly came into the spotlight when Angelina Jolie chose it for her son in 2003. By the following year it was in the middle of the Top 1000, and it has risen since.
  15. Barrett
    • Origin:

      German
    • Meaning:

      "bear strength"
    • Description:

      Barrett is one of many surname names that are up and coming for boys in recent years. Barrett joints Bennett, Beckett, and others in the trend of "-tt" ending boy names taking over the charts.
  16. Fletcher
    • Origin:

      English occupational name
    • Meaning:

      "arrow-maker"
    • Description:

      Fletcher is a common surname with a touch of quirkiness; it definitely fits into the So Far Out It's In category--and moving further in all the time along with other occupational names from Parker to Forester.
  17. Quincy
    • Origin:

      French
    • Meaning:

      "estate of the fifth son"
    • Description:

      Quirky in the way that all Q names are quirky, Quincy was once a buttoned-up, patrician New England name, an image countered in recent years by the talented and ultracool musician Quincy Jones (middle name: Delight; nickname: Q).
  18. Harper
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "harp player"
    • Description:

      Harper got its start as a celebrity baby name when Paul Simon chose it for his now-grown son. Since then, other famous parents have followed suit: musician Tim Finn and actor Cecilia Peck both have sons called Harper.
  19. Killian
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "war strife or church"
    • Description:

      Killian – aka Cillian – is a spirited yet resonant Gaelic name that was borne by several Irish saints and could make a distinctive replacement for the dated Kelly. Kylian is another spelling that's gaining traction, thanks to French soccer star Kylian Mbappé. Possible downsides: an unsavory first syllable and a connection to the trendy brew.
  20. Banks
    • Origin:

      English surname
    • Meaning:

      "one who lives on the hillside or riverbank"
    • Description:

      Banks is a topographical surname that refers not to those places where people keep their money but to riverbanks or hillsides, and specifically the people who live and work on them. A name with two very different connotations then, Banks manages to sound smart, preppy, and upwardly-mobile, with a touch of rugged, outdoorsy charm too.