boys' name ★ peaked 2012

Anderson

Meaning Andrew Gender Boy · 5% girls Rank 2025 #363 Trend ↓ Falling 11%

From Middle English Ander (“Andrew”) +‎ -son, after Saint Andrew, patron saint of Scotland.

Rank 2025
#363
among boys · ↓7 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
1,079
named Anderson · +1% vs 2024
How common
1 in 1,902
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2012
1,294 babies
All-time total
35,646
#628 all-time among boys
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Anderson popularity over time

35,646 babies have been named Anderson since 1880, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.190.380.560.7518801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
BoysGirls

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – 430 430 43 – #215
1890s – 415 415 42 -3% #216
1900s – 414 414 41 0% #274
1910s – 1,058 1,058 106 +156% #353
1920s – 1,369 1,369 137 +29% #451
1930s – 981 981 98 -28% #541
1940s 5 1,027 1,032 103 +5% #584
1950s – 1,034 1,034 103 0% #664
1960s – 749 749 75 -28% #790
1970s – 736 736 74 -2% #901
1980s 15 909 924 92 +26% #916
1990s 111 1,652 1,763 176 +91% #767
2000s 234 5,766 6,000 600 +240% #288
2010s 587 11,511 12,098 1,210 +102% #280
2020s (to 2025) 703 5,940 6,643 1,107 -8% #306

Where Anderson is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 boys Implied rank
2026 880 0.52 #366
2027 865 0.51 #369
2028 853 0.50 #373
2029 843 0.49 #375
2030 834 0.49 #379

Where Anderson is most popular

Boys named Anderson per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.562 per 1,000. Strongest in District of Columbia, Alabama, and Tennessee.

Vs national average
well below below near national above well above no data

All 50 states and DC, sorted by rate. Counts are boys named Anderson born 2021–2025; the per-1,000 rate makes states of different sizes comparable, and the last column shows each state against the national average.

State Boys 2021–2025 Per 1,000 vs national
District of Columbia 20 1.35 +141%
Alabama 136 1.24 +121%
Tennessee 218 1.21 +115%
Kentucky 116 1.16 +106%
Mississippi 65 1.14 +103%
Virginia 214 1.13 +101%
North Carolina 276 1.08 +92%
Maryland 124 1.04 +85%
Georgia 255 1.01 +79%
Louisiana 101 0.987 +76%
South Carolina 102 0.987 +76%
Connecticut 64 0.945 +68%
New Jersey 152 0.755 +34%
Arkansas 47 0.743 +32%
Rhode Island 12 0.736 +31%
Delaware 11 0.725 +29%
Massachusetts 97 0.705 +25%
Florida 333 0.703 +25%
Missouri 96 0.693 +23%
Iowa 45 0.653 +16%
Ohio 170 0.641 +14%
Oklahoma 56 0.633 +13%
New York 273 0.631 +12%
Kansas 42 0.612 +9%
Oregon 43 0.567 ≈ national
Texas 473 0.537 -5%
Colorado 68 0.527 -6%
Pennsylvania 136 0.512 -9%
Washington 81 0.495 -12%
Indiana 78 0.486 -13%
California 402 0.440 -22%
Illinois 112 0.438 -22%
Michigan 88 0.430 -24%
West Virginia 13 0.398 -29%
Minnesota 46 0.375 -33%
Nebraska 14 0.322 -43%
Arizona 50 0.306 -46%
Wisconsin 36 0.304 -46%
Utah 27 0.283 -50%
New Hampshire 5 0.225 -60%
Idaho 6 0.147 -74%
Alaska – – –
Hawaii – – –
Maine – – –
Montana – – –
North Dakota – – –
New Mexico – – –
Nevada – – –
South Dakota – – –
Vermont – – –
Wyoming – – –

State counts come from the Social Security Administration's state files, which omit any state-year with fewer than five babies of a name, so small states can undercount slightly.

The story of Anderson

Anderson is moderately common for boys in the United States, ranked #363 in 2025 with 898 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 35,646 American babies have been named Anderson. Its peak came in 2012, when 1,294 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2010s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Anderson stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Anderson?

The median living Anderson is about 12 years old; half are between 6 and 19. An estimated 30 thousand people named Anderson are alive in the United States today.

median 12 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Anderson year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 181 #1,243 898 #363
2024 118 #1,719 946 #356
2023 114 #1,781 1,009 #332
2022 100 #1,961 1,001 #337
2021 95 #2,025 1,003 #328
2020 95 #1,979 1,083 #306
2019 67 #2,601 1,057 #318
2018 79 #2,305 1,173 #297
2017 84 #2,240 1,201 #294
2016 62 #2,762 1,162 #304
2015 74 #2,457 1,186 #306
2014 51 #3,186 1,163 #304
2013 36 #4,079 1,154 #303
2012 45 #3,532 1,249 #280
2011 49 #3,307 1,145 #294
2010 40 #3,826 1,021 #313
2009 25 #5,549 1,142 #288
2008 38 #4,098 1,017 #325
2007 39 #3,991 926 #346
2006 22 #5,927 754 #399
2005 21 #5,817 496 #499
2004 29 #4,605 370 #594
2003 15 #7,241 340 #613
2002 18 #6,151 281 #664
2001 16 #6,642 229 #752
2000 11 #8,582 211 #784
1995 12 #7,075 160 #857
1990 – – 136 #881
1985 – – 98 #917
1980 – – 80 #1,010
1975 – – 65 #1,019
1970 – – 74 #927
1965 – – 79 #826
1960 – – 84 #830
1955 – – 100 #728
1950 – – 109 #668
1945 – – 96 #616
1940 – – 100 #592
1935 – – 86 #633
1930 – – 122 #541
1925 – – 128 #543
1920 – – 180 #451
1915 – – 121 #506
1910 – – 52 #353
1905 – – 45 #299
1900 – – 56 #275
1895 – – 31 #329
1890 – – 59 #216
1885 – – 42 #256
1880 – – 43 #252

Famous people named Anderson

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Anderson Cooper Anderson Cooper American journalist (born 1967) Contemporary
  2. 2 Anderson Silva Anderson Silva Brazilian mixed martial artist (born 1975) Contemporary
  3. 3 Anderson Anderson Brazilian footballer (born 1988) Contemporary
  4. 4 Anderson Varejão Anderson Varejão Brazilian basketball player (born 1982) Contemporary
  5. 5 Anderson Lopes Anderson Lopes Brazilian footballer (born 1993) Contemporary
  6. 6 Anderson Santamaría Peruvian footballer (born 1992) Contemporary
  7. 7 Anderson Bamba Anderson Bamba Brazilian footballer (born 1988) Contemporary
  8. 8 Anderson Carvalho Anderson Carvalho Brazilian footballer (born 1990) Contemporary
  9. 9 Anderson Patric Aguiar Oliveira Anderson Patric Aguiar Oliveira Brazilian footballer b. 1987 · Contemporary
  10. 10 Anderson Gonzaga Brazilian footballer (born 1983) Contemporary
  11. 11 Anderson Andrade Antunes Brazilian footballer (born 1981) Contemporary
  12. 12 Anderson Gils de Sampaio Brazilian footballer (born 1977) Contemporary
  13. 13 Anderson Roberto da Silva Luiz Brazilian footballer b. 1978 · Contemporary
  14. 14 Anderson Santos Silva Brazilian footballer b. 1981 · Contemporary
  15. 15 Anderson Luis da Silva Brazilian footballer and coach (born 1972) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Anderson, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Anderson?

The median living Anderson is about 12 years old. Half of all living Andersons are between 6 and 19 years old.

How many people named Anderson are alive today?

An estimated 30 thousand people named Anderson are alive in the United States, based on 35,646 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Anderson mean?

From Middle English Ander (“Andrew”) +‎ -son, after Saint Andrew, patron saint of Scotland.

How popular is the name Anderson in 2025?

Anderson ranked #363 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 898 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Anderson?

35,646 babies have been named Anderson in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Anderson most popular?

Anderson peaked in 2012, when 1,294 newborns received the name.

Is Anderson a boy or girl name?

Anderson is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 95% of babies with the name.

Is the name Anderson rising or falling?

Anderson has been roughly stable over the past decade.

Will Anderson become more popular?

Anderson is trending downward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 834 boys named Anderson in 2030, which would rank around #379. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Anderson?

Well-known people named Anderson include Anderson Cooper (writer), Anderson Silva (martial arts), Anderson (soccer player).

Names like Anderson

Names that sound and feel close to Anderson: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Anderson with similar names → More names starting with A →