Anderson
Anderson was the 363rd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 898 babies. Its best year was 1882, when it ranked 215th; the most babies were born in 2012 (1,249). Over the last ten years it has moved down 57 places. More babies were named Anderson in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning son of Andrew · Scottish, Greek
Say it AN-der-sun /ˈændərsən/
- Rank in 2025
- #363 boys, down 57 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 898boys
- Girls and boys
- 11% girls, 89% boys2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20121,249 babies
- Total since 1880
- 35,646babies recorded
What does the name Anderson mean?
Anderson is a Scottish and northern English surname, "son of Ander", a medieval form of Andrew, Scotland's patron saint. DMNES derives Andrew from Greek anēr, "man". In the US it can also be an English form of Scandinavian Andersen or Andersson. It is used as a first name for boys, partly from the surname and partly from the TV journalist Anderson Cooper.
Ander (Middle English, “Andrew”)ἀνήρ (Ancient Greek, “man”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Andersen, Andrew, Andrews.
See also: Scottish names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Anderson', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources (ed. S. L. Uckelman), Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Andrew', DMNES, Durham University
Nicknames for Anderson
The usual nicknames for Anderson are Andy. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 boys named Anderson in the last five years, 63 were named Andy, against 519 twenty years earlier.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Boys, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Andy · also for Andrew, Andres, Andrea | Modern | #565 | 3,084 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Andersons go by each one.
Anderson popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Rank (boys) | Babies (girls) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,243 | #363 | 181 | 898 |
| 2020 | #1,979 | #306 | 95 | 1,083 |
| 2010 | #3,826 | #313 | 40 | 1,021 |
| 2000 | #8,582 | #784 | 11 | 211 |
| 1990 | — | #881 | — | 136 |
| 1980 | — | #1,010 | — | 80 |
| 1970 | — | #927 | — | 74 |
| 1960 | — | #830 | — | 84 |
| 1950 | — | #668 | — | 109 |
| 1940 | — | #592 | — | 100 |
| 1930 | — | #541 | — | 122 |
| 1920 | — | #451 | — | 180 |
| 1910 | — | #353 | — | 52 |
| 1900 | — | #275 | — | 56 |
| 1890 | — | #216 | — | 59 |
| 1880 | — | #252 | — | 43 |
How popular is Anderson, counting every spelling?
Anderson is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #357 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #363 for Anderson on its own. Together these spellings went to 936 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anderson | 898 | #363 | 4,857 |
| Andersen | 27 | #3,955 | 120 |
| Andersson | 11 | #7,224 | 41 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Anderson?
898 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Anderson (0.25 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Anderson 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 9 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Anderson.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Anderson?
About 28,000 people born in the US named Anderson are alive today, with a median age of 14; half are between 8 and 20. That makes Anderson mostly worn by children and young adults.
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.
Anderson by state
How common Anderson was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in District of Columbia (2.4×), Alabama (2.2×), Tennessee (2.1×), Kentucky (2.1×), Mississippi (2.0×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Idaho, New Hampshire, Utah.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Anderson: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Anderson, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Anderson · Sibling names for Anderson
Questions about the name Anderson
What does Anderson mean?
Anderson means “son of Andrew” (Scottish, Greek origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Anderson?
Anderson was the 363rd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 898 babies. Its best year was 1882, when it ranked 215th; the most babies were born in 2012 (1,249). Over the last ten years it has moved down 57 places. More babies were named Anderson in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Anderson a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, 11% girls, 89% boys given the name Anderson in the US.
Where is Anderson most popular?
In 2021–2025, Anderson was most common in District of Columbia (1.35 per 1,000 boys), followed by Alabama and Tennessee.