Carter is an English occupational surname for a "cart driver" or "transporter of goods", from the medieval word for someone who carried loads by cart. Jimmy Carter, the 39th president, is the best-known American bearer of the surname. As a first name Carter ranked number 152 in the United States in 2000, entered the top 100 in 2004, peaked at number 24 in 2015 and ranks number 45 among boys in 2025.