Sander
A diminutive of the male given name Alexander, from Ancient Greek.
Every Sander since 1912 — 1,667 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Sander
Sander is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #3,030 in 2025 with 41 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.
Since 1912, 1,667 American babies have been named Sander. Its peak came in 2020, when 46 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 2020s.
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 Sander stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Sander 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 | — | — | 41 | #3,030 |
| 2024 | — | — | 26 | #4,173 |
| 2023 | — | — | 44 | #2,885 |
| 2022 | — | — | 41 | #3,046 |
| 2021 | — | — | 32 | #3,565 |
| 2020 | — | — | 46 | #2,722 |
| 2019 | — | — | 28 | #3,882 |
| 2018 | — | — | 35 | #3,293 |
| 2017 | — | — | 27 | #3,966 |
| 2016 | — | — | 30 | #3,665 |
| 2015 | — | — | 22 | #4,524 |
| 2014 | — | — | 26 | #3,989 |
| 2013 | — | — | 19 | #4,944 |
| 2012 | — | — | 22 | #4,508 |
| 2011 | — | — | 32 | #3,418 |
| 2010 | — | — | 26 | #3,971 |
| 2009 | — | — | 24 | #4,257 |
| 2008 | — | — | 33 | #3,410 |
| 2007 | — | — | 39 | #3,016 |
| 2006 | — | — | 25 | #3,978 |
| 2005 | — | — | 30 | #3,375 |
| 2004 | — | — | 24 | #3,836 |
| 2003 | — | — | 29 | #3,259 |
| 2002 | — | — | 29 | #3,172 |
| 2001 | — | — | 24 | #3,598 |
| 2000 | — | — | 16 | #4,753 |
| 1995 | — | — | 11 | #5,440 |
| 1990 | — | — | 6 | #7,938 |
| 1985 | — | — | 6 | #6,389 |
| 1980 | — | — | 5 | #7,100 |
| 1975 | — | — | 5 | #6,176 |
| 1970 | 7 | #6,905 | 16 | #2,386 |
| 1965 | — | — | 13 | #2,352 |
| 1960 | — | — | — | — |
| 1955 | — | — | 6 | #3,824 |
| 1950 | 5 | #5,968 | 10 | #2,556 |
| 1945 | — | — | 13 | #1,998 |
| 1940 | — | — | 9 | #2,648 |
| 1935 | — | — | 13 | #2,111 |
| 1930 | — | — | 10 | #2,760 |
| 1925 | — | — | 9 | #3,113 |
| 1920 | — | — | 7 | #3,766 |
| 1915 | — | — | 10 | #2,589 |
| 1910 | — | — | — | — |
| 1905 | — | — | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — |
| 1895 | — | — | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — | — | — |
| 1885 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
Famous people named Sander
- Sander Boschker Soccer player · b. 1970
- Sander Westerveld Soccer player · b. 1974
- Sander van Doorn Musician · b. 1979
- Sander van Gessel Soccer player · b. 1976
- Sander Berge Soccer player · b. 1998
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Sander mean?
A diminutive of the male given name Alexander, from Ancient Greek.
How popular is the name Sander in 2025?
Sander ranked #3,030 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 41 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Sander?
1,667 babies have been named Sander in the United States since 1912, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Sander most popular?
Sander peaked in 2020, when 46 newborns received the name.
Is Sander a boy or girl name?
Sander is overwhelmingly a boy's name — 95% of babies with the name.
Is the name Sander rising or falling?
Sander is on the rise — noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.
Who are famous people named Sander?
Well-known people named Sander include Sander Boschker (soccer player), Sander Westerveld (soccer player), Sander van Doorn (musician).