Baby Names US
girls' name ★ peaked 2006

Anja

Gender Girl Rank 2025 #4,075 Trend ↓ Falling 10%
Rank 2025
#4,075
among girls · ↓792 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
35
named Anja · -27% vs 2024
How common
1 in 45,922
girls born in 2025
Peak year
2006
122 babies
All-time total
2,797
#3,761 all-time among girls
First recorded
1962
in Social Security records

Anja popularity over time

2,797 babies have been named Anja since 1962, 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
0.020.040.060.0818801900192019401960198020002020Peak 2006Girls

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 Per year Change Best rank
1880s – – – –
1890s – – – –
1900s – – – –
1910s – – – –
1920s – – – –
1930s – – – –
1940s – – – –
1950s – – – –
1960s 157 16 – #1,769
1970s 195 20 +24% #2,109
1980s 216 22 +11% #3,258
1990s 400 40 +85% #2,373
2000s 872 87 +118% #1,684
2010s 674 67 -23% #2,161
2020s (to 2025) 283 47 -30% #3,022

Where Anja is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 girls (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 girls Implied rank
2026 34 0.02 outside top 500
2027 34 0.02 outside top 500
2028 33 0.02 outside top 500
2029 33 0.02 outside top 500
2030 32 0.02 outside top 500

The story of Anja

Anja is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #4,075 in 2025 with 35 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1962, 2,797 American babies have been named Anja. Its peak came in 2006, when 122 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2000s.

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 Anja stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Anja?

The median living Anja is about 20 years old; half are between 12 and 31. An estimated 2,800 people named Anja are alive in the United States today.

median 20 020406080100

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

Anja year by year

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

Year Girls Girls rank
2025 35 #4,075
2024 48 #3,283
2023 51 #3,187
2022 50 #3,220
2021 46 #3,394
2020 53 #3,022
2019 57 #2,892
2018 45 #3,441
2017 64 #2,692
2016 72 #2,503
2015 73 #2,475
2014 49 #3,277
2013 62 #2,773
2012 87 #2,161
2011 81 #2,302
2010 84 #2,274
2009 80 #2,400
2008 73 #2,557
2007 99 #2,060
2006 122 #1,709
2005 84 #2,183
2004 87 #2,089
2003 80 #2,170
2002 109 #1,684
2001 72 #2,241
2000 66 #2,336
1995 27 #3,886
1990 44 #2,647
1985 25 #3,425
1980 16 #4,522
1975 16 #3,959
1970 27 #2,651
1965 41 #1,769
1960 – –
1955 – –
1950 – –
1945 – –
1940 – –
1935 – –
1930 – –
1925 – –
1920 – –
1915 – –
1910 – –
1905 – –
1900 – –
1895 – –
1890 – –
1885 – –
1880 – –

Famous people named Anja

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

  1. 1 Anja Rubik Anja Rubik Polish model and businesswoman (born 1983) Contemporary
  2. 2 Anja Pärson Anja Pärson Swedish alpine skier b. 1981 · Contemporary
  3. 3 Anja Nissen Anja Nissen Australian pop singer (born 1995) Contemporary
  4. 4 Anja Garbarek Anja Garbarek Norwegian singer-songwriter b. 1970 · Contemporary
  5. 5 Anja Niedringhaus German photojournalist (1965–2014) Contemporary
  6. 6 Anja Kling Anja Kling German actress (born 1970) Contemporary
  7. 7 Anja Mittag Anja Mittag German footballer (born 1985) Contemporary
  8. 8 Anja Karliczek Anja Karliczek German politician b. 1971 · Contemporary
  9. 9 Anja Huber Anja Huber German skeleton racer b. 1983 · Contemporary
  10. 10 Anja Fichtel Anja Fichtel German fencer (born 1968) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Anja?

The median living Anja is about 20 years old. Half of all living Anjas are between 12 and 31 years old.

How many people named Anja are alive today?

An estimated 2,800 people named Anja are alive in the United States, based on 2,797 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

How popular is the name Anja in 2025?

Anja ranked #4,075 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 35 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Anja?

2,797 babies have been named Anja in the United States since 1962, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Anja most popular?

Anja peaked in 2006, when 122 newborns received the name.

Is Anja a boy or girl name?

Anja is overwhelmingly a girl's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Anja rising or falling?

Anja is declining, less popular now than a decade ago.

Will Anja become more popular?

Anja is trending downward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 32 girls named Anja in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Anja?

Well-known people named Anja include Anja Rubik (model), Anja Pärson (skier), Anja Nissen (singer).

Names like Anja

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

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