Hunter Name Meaning, Origin and Popularity
Hunter is predominantly used for boys. The statistics below show this exact spelling in official U.S. records.
How Do You Spell Hunter?
Hunter is spelled H-U-N-T-E-R. The name has 6 letters.
Hunter at a Glance
- Usage
- Predominantly used for boys
- Meaning
- A hunter is one who hunts game or other animals for food or sport.
- Origin
- The name Hunter is derived from an English occupational term for a person who hunted.
- Pronunciation
- HUN-ter · 2 syllables
Hunter Popularity in 2025
Rank#841
Recorded Births323
Rank#130
Recorded Births2,761
- Girls usage rose 37 places to #841 and recorded 16 more births compared with 2024.
- Boys usage fell 2 places to #130 and recorded 91 fewer births compared with 2024.
Figures reflect this exact spelling in the latest available U.S. Social Security Administration records. See the complete year-by-year trend.
What Does the Name Hunter Mean?
A hunter is one who hunts game or other animals for food or sport.
Origin: The name Hunter is derived from an English occupational term for a person who hunted.
How Do You Pronounce Hunter?
PronunciationHUN-ter
Syllables2
What Is the History of the Name Hunter?
- History
- Hunter has been used as a surname and was later adopted as a given name in English-speaking countries.
Hunter Popularity by Year
The table below shows the most recent available records for this exact spelling from 2014 through 2025. Use the full history page to explore every recorded year.
| Year | Usage Category | Recorded Births | National Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Girls | 323 | #841 |
| 2025 | Boys | 2,761 | #130 |
| 2024 | Girls | 307 | #878 |
| 2024 | Boys | 2,852 | #128 |
| 2023 | Girls | 347 | #806 |
| 2023 | Boys | 3,131 | #115 |
| 2022 | Girls | 364 | #782 |
| 2022 | Boys | 3,605 | #101 |
| 2021 | Girls | 340 | #816 |
| 2021 | Boys | 4,206 | #86 |
| 2020 | Girls | 329 | #830 |
| 2020 | Boys | 4,786 | #68 |
| 2019 | Girls | 311 | #861 |
| 2019 | Boys | 5,398 | #66 |
| 2018 | Girls | 329 | #825 |
| 2018 | Boys | 6,117 | #56 |
| 2017 | Girls | 384 | #736 |
| 2017 | Boys | 6,760 | #53 |
| 2016 | Girls | 338 | #842 |
| 2016 | Boys | 7,681 | #45 |
| 2015 | Girls | 356 | #791 |
| 2015 | Boys | 8,367 | #41 |
| 2014 | Girls | 364 | #768 |
| 2014 | Boys | 8,841 | #40 |
When Was Hunter Most Popular?
Peak years are based on the highest recorded birth totals for this exact spelling and usage category. They are ordered by birth count, not chronologically.
2000 · Boys
12,538 recorded births
National rank #35
1999 · Boys
11,485 recorded births
National rank #36
2001 · Boys
11,335 recorded births
National rank #36
2002 · Boys
11,085 recorded births
National rank #38
Where Hunter Ranked Highest in 2025
State rankings are calculated separately for girls and boys within each state. The SSA omits state-level names recorded fewer than five times, so low visible counts can still represent a relatively high state rank.
Top States for Boys
| State | Rank | Recorded Births |
|---|---|---|
| RI | #52 | 17 |
| WV | #58 | 28 |
| MT | #66 | 16 |
| WY | #72 | 6 |
| AK | #76 | 10 |
| KY | #82 | 59 |
| ME | #91 | 14 |
| AL | #92 | 56 |