Koulter
A masculine given name derived from the surname Koulter, relating to an occupation involving charcoal.
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Koulter. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Koulter today is around 3 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Koulter births was 2023 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Koulter. 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 Koulter. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
2023
5 babies that year
Average age
3
years old
2023 SSA rank
#13,306
Tracked since 2023
Popularity
Koulter: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Koulter 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 Koulter during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Koulter
The name Koulter is believed to have originated from the Germanic language family, possibly derived from the Old German word "kuln," which means "to cut or break." It is thought to have been a occupational surname given to those who worked as cutlers or knife-makers in medieval times.
One of the earliest known references to the name Koulter can be found in the records of the Domesday Book, a survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name is listed as "Cultor" and is associated with several individuals who held land and property in various parts of the country.
In the 12th century, a man named Koulter de Bury was recorded as a prominent nobleman and landowner in the county of Suffolk, England. He is mentioned in several historical documents from that time period, including the Pipe Rolls of King Henry II.
During the Renaissance era, a Dutch artist named Koulter van der Linden (1520-1585) gained recognition for his intricate woodcarvings and sculptures. His works can still be seen in various museums and galleries across Europe.
In the 18th century, a Scottish philosopher and mathematician named Koulter Macfarlane (1718-1796) made significant contributions to the fields of logic and metaphysics. His treatise, "An Inquiry into the Human Mind," was widely read and influential during the Age of Enlightenment.
Another notable bearer of the name was Koulter Breckinridge (1801-1876), a prominent American lawyer and politician from Kentucky. He served as the 14th Vice President of the United States under James Buchanan from 1857 to 1861.
While the name Koulter has its roots in medieval Europe, it has been carried by individuals from various cultural and ethnic backgrounds throughout history. These examples demonstrate the diverse and sometimes unexpected ways in which names can evolve and spread across different regions and time periods.
People
Koulter + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Koulter as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with K
Other first names starting with K with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Koulter: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Koulter?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Koulter 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 Koulter a common name?
We classify Koulter 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 Koulter most popular?
The single biggest year for Koulter was 2023, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Koulter is about 3 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 Koulter in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Koulter a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Koulter 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 Koulter still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Koulter 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 Koulter 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 Koulter as a first name?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.