Total births
262,238
Unisex name · since 1880
Hunter
262,238 babies named Hunter in U.S. Social Security records since 1880, with the highest year being 2000. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #128
- among boys today
- 262,238
- born since 1880
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 99.1%
- more common than other boys
262,238 babies have been named Hunter since 1880, making it today's #128 unisex name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Hunter has been recorded 262,238 times among boys since 1880, currently ranked #128 nationally and more common than 99.1% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 2000s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #128 among boys today
- 262,238 born since 1880
- 2000s peak decade
- 99.1% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Hunter is currently the #128 unisex name in America, more common than 99.1% of boys - 262,238 born since 1880, peaking in the 2000s.
- #128
- among boys today
- 262,238
- born since 1880
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 99.1%
- more common than other boys
Hunter vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#128
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 99.1% of names given to boys today.
2000s
Peak decade
36% of everyone ever named Hunter was born in this single decade.
2000
Single peak year
12,538 babies were named Hunter in 2000 - its busiest year on record.
How Hunter compares
262,238 Top 1% higher than 99% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Hunter's all-time total is 715x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Hunter | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 262,238 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 12,538 | 23 | 22,252 |
Hunter's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Hunter splits its recorded history at 1953: 99% of all births land in the more recent half, 1% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1903 (5 births) -- compare that against the 2000 peak of 12,538 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Hunter at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
2000
Current rank
#128
Active since
1880
Hunter popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (2000)
- 12,538
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Hunter popularity over time - girls
14,384 total births recorded since 1902 (Hunter as girls' name)
Hunter by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2000s was Hunter's strongest decade.
94,860 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 36% of all-time use.
Hunter births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 84
1880s
84 births
- 1890s 101
1890s
101 births
- 1900s 125
1900s
125 births
- 1910s 419
1910s
419 births
- 1920s 576
1920s
576 births
- 1930s 393
1930s
393 births
- 1940s 470
1940s
470 births
- 1950s 576
1950s
576 births
- 1960s 764
1960s
764 births
- 1970s 1,215
1970s
1,215 births
- 1980s 5,871
1980s
5,871 births
- 1990s
1990s
60,524 births
- 2000s
2000s
94,860 births
- 2010s
2010s
74,919 births
- 2020s 21,341
2020s
21,341 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 94,860 births (36% of all-time use).
How Hunter compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Hunter's total volume
Hunter vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Hunter by state
Where Hunter concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 19,621 | 7.5% |
| #2 | California | | 17,081 | 6.5% |
| #3 | Florida | | 13,035 | 5.0% |
| #4 | Ohio | | 11,056 | 4.2% |
| #5 | Pennsylvania | | 10,330 | 3.9% |
| #6 | North Carolina | | 9,950 | 3.8% |
| #7 | New York | | 9,915 | 3.8% |
| #8 | Michigan | | 9,727 | 3.7% |
Texas share of Hunter's total US births 7.5%
Even split
19,621 of 262,238 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Hunter appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Hunter? ▼
Hunter has been given to 262,238 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #128 as of the latest data. 12,538 babies were born in 2000, its single highest year.
When was Hunter most popular? ▼
Hunter was most popular in the 2000s decade with 94,860 total births. The single peak year was 2000.
Where is Hunter most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Hunter are Texas (19,621 births), California (17,081 births), Florida (13,035 births).
Is Hunter a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Hunter is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 262,238 births, and as a girl's name it has 14,384 births.
How long has the name Hunter been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Hunter since 1880 -- 146 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Hunter? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Huntley, Hung, Hunner, Huntington, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Hunter's data
- Hunter's decade-level peak was the 2000s (94,860 total births); usage has since declined to 21,341 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Hunters (19,621 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Hunter
Nearby Names Like Hunter
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Hunter
Huntley Boy
#1702 1,067 births
Hung Boy
1,018 births
Hunner Boy
#6073 439 births
Huntington Boy
258 births
Hunt Boy
#8321 254 births
Compare Hunter side by side: Hunter vs Huntley Hunter vs Hung Hunter vs Hunner
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Hunter
Greyson #127
60,231 births · Peak 2017
Graham #129
61,436 births · Peak 2025
Jonah #126
85,283 births · Peak 2008
Luis #130
292,959 births · Peak 2007
Kayden #125
73,606 births · Peak 2014
Sawyer #131
65,838 births · Peak 2015
Carson #124
132,774 births · Peak 2018
Declan #132
58,547 births · Peak 2019
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Hunter: #128 Unisex Name - 262,238 Births, Peak 2000." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/hunter. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Hunter draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.