Ander
Ander was the 728th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 365 babies. Its best year was 2023, when it ranked 566th with 516 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 606 places. More babies were named Ander in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Meaning Basque form of Andrew, 'manly' · Basque, Greek
Say it AHN-der /ˈɑndər/
- Rank in 2025
- #728 boys, down 104 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 365boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2023516 babies
- Total since 1880
- 4,549babies recorded
What does the name Ander mean?
Ander is a Basque boys' name, the equivalent of Andrew. Wiktionary says it was coined by Sabino Arana as a Basque equivalent of Spanish Andrés and French André. Andrew comes from Greek Andreas, which DMNES derives from anēr, man, so it is usually glossed "manly." Andrew was the first disciple Jesus called, according to DMNES. In the US, Ander has been an occasional boys' name since the 1900s.
Ἀνδρέας (Ancient Greek, “Andrew”)ἀνήρ (Ancient Greek, “man”)
How sure is this? Probable. Wiktionary is our source for Arana's coinage.
Related names: Andrew, Andrés, André, Anders.
See also: Greek names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Ander' (Basque section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Andrew', DMNES (Durham University)
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (yob*.txt), team3 computation of first year recorded, US Social Security Administration (public domain)
Ander popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #728 | 365 |
| 2020 | #624 | 430 |
| 2010 | #2,789 | 43 |
| 2000 | #5,940 | 11 |
| 1990 | #5,852 | 8 |
| 1980 | #5,555 | 6 |
| 1970 | #4,244 | 6 |
| 1960 | #3,351 | 7 |
| 1950 | #3,338 | 6 |
| 1940 | #2,484 | 9 |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | #3,831 | 6 |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Ander, counting every spelling?
Ander has no other common spelling that sounds the same. Counting every name's spellings together, it ranks #713 for boys in 2025, against #728 on the official list.
How many kids will share the name Ander?
365 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Ander (0.10 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Ander born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 23 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Ander.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Ander?
About 4,300 people born in the US named Ander are alive today, with a median age of 5; half are between 3 and 10. That makes Ander a young name: most people with it are children.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Ander by state
How common Ander was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Texas (2.2×), Arizona (2.2×), Florida (1.7×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Ohio, Michigan, Massachusetts.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Ander: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Ander, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Ander · Sibling names for Ander
Questions about the name Ander
What does Ander mean?
Ander means “Basque form of Andrew, 'manly'” (Basque, Greek origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Ander?
Ander was the 728th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 365 babies. Its best year was 2023, when it ranked 566th with 516 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 606 places. More babies were named Ander in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Is Ander a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Ander in the US.
Where is Ander most popular?
In 2021–2025, Ander was most common in Texas (0.60 per 1,000 boys), followed by Arizona and Florida.