embrisa.
embrisa.
Theme
Masculine

Hunter

/ˈhʌn.tɚ/

One who hunts

Old English

How to say it

HUN · ter

/ˈhʌn.tɚ/

What it means

English occupational surname for a hunter, from Old English hunta. Surname-first usage picked up in the 1980s and is now solidly in the top 100.

Hunter is an English occupational surname for a hunter, from the Old English hunta ('one who hunts'). The surname has been common since the medieval period. The first-name use is modern American, picking up in the 1980s with the broader masculine surname-first wave. Hunter S. Thompson (the Gonzo journalist, 1937-2005) and Hunter Hayes (the country singer) are the strongest English-language anchors. It's been in the US top 100 since 1992 and is now unisex-leaning in some communities. Single short forms aren't common.

Popularity over time

#10 #100 #1000 #1 #143518802025

peaked at #35 in 2000, currently #130 in 2025.

Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–present. See where the names are moving

Heads-up notes

  • Pop culture

    Hunter S. Thompson's gonzo journalism (Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas) is the strongest cultural anchor; Hunter Hayes the country singer is the modern one.

Who's worn it

Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.

  • Hunter S. Thompson American gonzo journalist, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
  • Hunter Biden Son of US President Joe Biden, lawyer and businessman

Spelling variants

  • Huntyr