Hunter, a surname-turned-given-name, was derived from the Old English word hunta and was originally an occupational name given to a hunter. The sporty name started gaining popularity in the United States in the 1980s before cracking the Social Security Administration's top-100 for boy names in 1993. It remained in the top-100 until 2022, but is still a top-115 boy's name and was given to more than 3,000 baby boys in 2023. It has also appeared in the top 1,000 for girl names for most years since 1993. It's the name "Full House" actress Jurnee Smollett-Bell gave her son Hunter Zion, born in 2016, as well as the name "Lost" star Josh Holloway gave his son Hunter Lee in 2014.
