Cartyr
A name of uncertain origin and meaning, possibly derived from the English word "cart".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Cartyr. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Cartyr today is around 7 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Cartyr births was 2019 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Cartyr. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Cartyr. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
2019
5 babies that year
Average age
7
years old
2019 SSA rank
#12,471
Tracked since 2019
Popularity
Cartyr: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Cartyr by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Cartyr during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Cartyr
The given name Cartyr traces its origins to an ancient Sumerian word "kar-tir", which translates to "one who guards the way". It was a common name among the warrior class of the Sumerian civilization, which flourished in the region of Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq) around 3500-2000 BCE.
One of the earliest known references to the name Cartyr can be found in the Epic of Gilgamesh, a Sumerian epic poem from around 2100 BCE. The epic mentions a character named Cartyr, who was a fierce warrior and a loyal companion of the hero Gilgamesh.
In the later Babylonian period, the name Cartyr was also associated with the god of war, Nergal. It was believed that those who bore this name were under the protection of this deity and were destined for great feats of valor on the battlefield.
The name Cartyr made its way into various other ancient cultures through trade and conquest. In ancient Greece, there was a renowned warrior named Cartyr who fought in the Trojan War, as mentioned in Homer's Iliad. He was said to have been a skilled archer and a loyal comrade to Achilles.
In the 6th century BCE, a Persian ruler named Cartyr the Great was known for his military campaigns and for establishing the Achaemenid Empire, one of the largest empires in ancient history. His name was a source of pride for the Persian people, as it symbolized strength and courage.
During the Middle Ages, the name Cartyr became popular among the warrior classes of various European cultures. In the 11th century, there was a Norman knight named Cartyr de Montfort, who played a significant role in the Norman conquest of England in 1066.
In the 15th century, a Scottish nobleman named Cartyr Douglas was renowned for his bravery in the battles against the English during the Wars of Scottish Independence. He was a close companion of the legendary Scottish leader, William Wallace.
Throughout history, the name Cartyr has been associated with strength, bravery, and a warrior spirit. Its rich heritage spans across various ancient civilizations and cultures, each adding their own interpretations and legends to its meaning.
People
Cartyr + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Cartyr as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with C
Other first names starting with C with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Cartyr: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Cartyr?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Cartyr going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Cartyr a common name?
We classify Cartyr as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Cartyr most popular?
The single biggest year for Cartyr was 2019, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Cartyr is about 7 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Cartyr in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Cartyr a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Cartyr in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Cartyr still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Cartyr in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Cartyr can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have the name Cartyr?
For a quick modern take, check how many people share the name Cartyr on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.