Hunter Baby boy name meaning, origin, and popularity

Hunter is primarily a boy's name in the United States and the United Kingdom. The meaning of Hunter is pretty straightforward: "someone who hunts." In the Middle Ages, Hunter was an English and Scottish last name for hunters and bird catchers.

These types of occupational names were commonly used as last names to identify someone or their family's trade. Along with Hunter, other common last names were Carter, Cooper, Smith, Ryder, and Miller – just to name a few. Many of these names, including Hunter, have been adopted into first names for boys (and girls, too).

Before, the name was appropriate for someone who engaged in hunting. Today, you'll find boys and girls from all walks of life named Hunter. Though ancient, the name has a modern, spunky feel – especially for girls.

Hunter has been consistently making appearances in the Social Security Administration's top 1,000 most popular boy's names since 1900, but it wasn't until the '80s that it really started gaining attention. It broke into the top 500 in 1982, then skyrocketed all the way to number 35 a few years later in 2000. It's fallen a bit in popularity since then, but still remains in the top 100 most popular boy's names.

It's less popular as a girl's name, first appearing in the Social Security Administration's top 1,000 girl's names in 1993. It's held steady in the top 1,000 since, but hasn't seen the same recognition among baby girls as it has among boys.

That trend holds true among BabyCenter parents, where Hunter has been in the top 100 names for boys, but only in the top 1,000 for girls. (BabyCenter's data comes from hundreds of thousands of parents who share their babies' names with us each year.)

Hunter's popularity shows two things: The last-name-as-a-first-name trend is nowhere near over, and gender-neutral names are here to stay.