Home / Name Directory / Foster

How Many People Are Named Foster?

Estimated people named Foster living in the U.S. today

7,388

Rarity score55/100
Very commonVery rare
Very RareRarity score 55/1001 in 46,264 peopleRank #2,888 of 104,819Trend: Rising

Check a full name with Foster →

Gender distribution

97% male · 3% female in SSA records.

Name scorecard

  • Total U.S. births recorded (1880–2024): 13,130
  • Peak year: 2023 (257 births)
  • Estimated living today: 7,388

Foster by age group — who carries the name today?

Kids (born 2022+)
704
Young Adults (2002–2021)
3,243
Adults (1982–2001)
1,322
Middle-Aged (1962–1981)
691
Seniors (1942–1961)
1,098
Elderly (before 1942)
330

Foster popularity over time (1880–2024)

18802024

Estimated living bearers by birth decade

1880s
0
1890s
0
1900s
0
1910s
4
1920s
54
1930s
205
1940s
524
1950s
539
1960s
401
1970s
330
1980s
344
1990s
848
2000s
990
2010s
1,967
2020s
1,182

About the name Foster

Foster has been recorded by the Social Security Administration since the 19th century dataset began. In total, 13,130 babies were given the name in the United States between 1880 and 2024. After adjusting each birth cohort for survival to today, an estimated 7,388 bearers are still living — roughly 1 in 46,264 Americans. The name's strongest decade shapes how old most Fosters you meet will be, which the age-group breakdown above shows directly. All figures are statistical estimates from public records; see our methodology for sources, the survival model, and the limits of the data (names given to fewer than five babies in a year are not published by the SSA).

Frequently asked questions

How many people are named Foster in the US?

An estimated 7,388 people named Foster are living in the United States today, based on SSA birth records from 1880 to 2024 adjusted for survival. That makes Foster very rare — about 1 in 46,264 Americans.

Is Foster a boy or girl name?

In SSA records, Foster is 97% male and 3% female, so it is predominantly a male name.

When was Foster most popular?

Foster peaked in 2023, when 257 babies were given the name. Its current trend is rising compared with the previous decade.

How rare is the name Foster?

Foster ranks #2,888 of 104,819 first names recorded by the SSA, with a rarity score of 55 out of 100 (higher means rarer).