Nameling

Foster

Gender
Boy
Say it
FAH-ster
Origin
English
UK rank, 2025
#4,301 for boys
US rank, 2025
#901 for boys

Foster is a boys' name of English origin, meaning “forester”. In 2025 it ranked 4,301st for boys in the UK (4 babies) and 901st for boys in the US (264 babies).

What does Foster mean?

English: English surname, mostly a form of Forester

“forester”

An English surname, mostly a contracted form of Forester, a keeper of a forest; sometimes from foster, 'foster parent'.

More on Wiktionary.

Is Foster a girl's or a boy's name?

Foster is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 4 boys in the UK and 14 girls and 264 boys in the US.

How popular is Foster in the UK?

Rank in 2025
#4,301among boys
Babies in 2025
4about 1 in 75,000 boys
Five-year trend
Fallingdown 56% in five years
Same name in a class
under 1%chance among 15 boys

In 2025, 4 boys in the UK were named Foster, making it the 4,301st most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 4,025th. Its busiest year was 2008, with 8 boys.

Half of all the boys named Foster in the UK since 1996 were born between 2007 and 2016, the years shaded on the chart below.

Among boys in 2025, it was 4,212th in England and Wales.

1999Busiest: 8 in 20082025
Foster in the UK, year by year
YearBoysRank
20254#4,301
20240–
20230–
20227#2,922
20211#6,364
20204#4,025
20195#3,597
20180–
20174#4,161
20164#4,214
20158#2,614
20146#3,125
20134#4,008
20125#3,572
20115#3,446
20103#4,865
20096#2,970
20088#2,384
20074#3,748
20063#4,204
20057#2,292
20040–
20037#2,054
20020–
20010–
20004#2,612
19993#3,043

How popular is Foster in the US?

Rank in 2025
#901among boys
Babies in 2025
264about 1 in 6,500 boys
Five-year trend
Steadyup 10% in five years
Same name in a class
under 1%chance among 15 boys

In 2025, 264 boys in the US were named Foster, making it the 901st most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 961st. 14 girls were also named Foster in 2025 (7,489th for girls).

2025 had the most boys named Foster of any year since the records began in 1880.

Half of all the boys named Foster in the US since 1880 were born between 1925 and 2009, the years shaded on the chart below.

1880Busiest: 264 in 20252025
Foster in the US, year by year
YearBoysRank
2025264#901
2024202#1,076
2023232#966
2022213#1,037
2021217#1,006
2020226#961
2019227#945
2018184#1,077
2017223#936
2016214#963
2015196#1,032
2014209#991
2013213#937
2012200#993
2011102#1,544
2010126#1,349
2009116#1,443
200887#1,736
200793#1,650
200699#1,519
200584#1,617
2004111#1,326
200395#1,398
2002107#1,265
200191#1,383
200098#1,311
1999113#1,156
1998106#1,169
1997113#1,113
199681#1,332
1995109#1,078
199493#1,188
199374#1,316
199258#1,520
199152#1,609
199050#1,630
198940#1,853
198841#1,701
198741#1,653
198627#2,094
198543#1,523
198432#1,763
198335#1,650
198236#1,653
198135#1,660
198031#1,808
197941#1,464
197833#1,652
197746#1,335
197637#1,469
197542#1,345
197428#1,692
197335#1,435
197227#1,680
197129#1,636
197041#1,296
196926#1,604
196845#1,119
196741#1,165
196634#1,298
196548#1,064
196454#1,025
196342#1,194
196258#1,006
196175#881
196053#1,057
195969#918
195867#927
195773#883
195686#803
195573#861
195462#938
195373#838
195281#780
195183#765
195090#720
1949107#663
1948117#625
1947122#615
194688#689
1945106#586
1944107#594
1943119#581
1942116#575
194193#628
194090#626
193986#636
1938108#559
1937102#570
193686#628
1935117#534
1934111#560
1933100#577
193299#592
1931111#557
1930121#546
1929117#543
1928110#588
1927155#485
1926167#465
1925159#481
1924171#472
1923176#461
1922189#442
1921199#431
1920201#418
1919188#429
1918212#406
1917177#426
1916204#387
1915166#419
1914138#404
1913122#381
191296#391
191161#353
191042#415
190936#408
190841#355
190729#429
190641#321
190531#370
190442#300
190328#360
190230#360
190136#291
190029#419
189935#294
189837#316
189737#299
189643#279
189527#358
189440#278
189336#287
189241#284
189132#291
189023#369
188927#338
188826#359
188717#409
188622#369
188525#344
188420#399
188332#289
188234#294
188122#348
188016#442

Names like Foster

Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.

Fletcher Oliver Jasper Chester Harley Leo Charlie Casper Arthur Felix Harris Miller

More English names

Lily Evelyn Hudson Ivy Harper Grace Violet Willow Daisy Poppy Riley Oakley Mason Cooper Ruby Hallie

Every English name

Sources

Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.

To cite this page: Nameling, “Foster: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/foster, updated 20 October 2026.