Total births
33,991
Boys' name · since 1880
Anderson
33,991 babies named Anderson in U.S. Social Security records since 1880, with the highest year being 2012. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #356
- among boys today
- 33,991
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 98%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Anderson is the #356 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 33,991 recorded since 1880.
Social Security Administration records show Anderson recorded 33,991 times among boys since 1880, holding rank #356 nationally today, ahead of 98% of boys, peaking in the 2010s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #356 among boys today
- 33,991 born since 1880
- 2010s peak decade
- 98% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Anderson is currently the #356 boys' name in America, more common than 98% of boys - 33,991 born since 1880, peaking in the 2010s.
- #356
- among boys today
- 33,991
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 98%
- more common than other boys
Anderson vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#356
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 98% of names given to boys today.
2010s
Peak decade
34% of everyone ever named Anderson was born in this single decade.
2012
Single peak year
1,249 babies were named Anderson in 2012 - its busiest year on record.
How Anderson compares
33,991 Top 4% higher than 96% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Anderson's all-time total is 93x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Anderson | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 33,991 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 1,249 | 23 | 22,252 |
Anderson's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Anderson splits its recorded history at 1953: 82% of all births land in the more recent half, 18% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1901 (26 births) -- compare that against the 2012 peak of 1,249 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Anderson at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
2012
Current rank
#356
Active since
1880
Anderson popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (2012)
- 1,249
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Anderson popularity over time - girls
1,655 total births recorded since 1946 (Anderson as girls' name)
Anderson by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Anderson's strongest decade.
11,511 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 34% of all-time use.
Anderson births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 430
1880s
430 births
- 1890s 415
1890s
415 births
- 1900s 414
1900s
414 births
- 1910s 1,058
1910s
1,058 births
- 1920s 1,369
1920s
1,369 births
- 1930s 981
1930s
981 births
- 1940s 1,027
1940s
1,027 births
- 1950s 1,034
1950s
1,034 births
- 1960s 749
1960s
749 births
- 1970s 736
1970s
736 births
- 1980s 909
1980s
909 births
- 1990s 1,652
1990s
1,652 births
- 2000s
2000s
5,766 births
- 2010s
2010s
11,511 births
- 2020s
2020s
5,940 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 11,511 births (34% of all-time use).
How Anderson compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Anderson's total volume
Anderson vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Anderson by state
Where Anderson concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 2,455 | 7.2% |
| #2 | California | | 2,411 | 7.1% |
| #3 | New York | | 2,291 | 6.7% |
| #4 | Georgia | | 1,990 | 5.9% |
| #5 | Florida | | 1,700 | 5.0% |
| #6 | North Carolina | | 1,690 | 5.0% |
| #7 | Virginia | | 1,243 | 3.7% |
| #8 | Alabama | | 1,171 | 3.4% |
Texas share of Anderson's total US births 7.2%
Even split
2,455 of 33,991 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 45 reporting states.
Anderson appears in 45 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Anderson? ▼
Anderson has been given to 33,991 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #356 as of the latest data. 1,249 babies were born in 2012, its single highest year.
When was Anderson most popular? ▼
Anderson was most popular in the 2010s decade with 11,511 total births. The single peak year was 2012.
Where is Anderson most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Anderson are Texas (2,455 births), California (2,411 births), New York (2,291 births).
How long has the name Anderson been used? ▼
Anderson has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 146 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Anderson? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Andrew, Andre, Andres, Andy, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Anderson's data
- Anderson's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (11,511 total births) through the 2020s (5,940) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- Texas records the most Andersons (2,455 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Anderson
Nearby Names Like Anderson
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Anderson
Andrew Boy
#68 1,329,454 births
Andre Boy
#350 130,656 births
Andres Boy
#197 96,284 births
Andy Boy
#491 94,185 births
Andreas Boy
#1104 8,630 births
Compare Anderson side by side: Anderson vs Andrew Anderson vs Andre Anderson vs Andres
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Anderson
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Anderson: #356 Boys' Name - 33,991 Births, Peak 2012." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/anderson. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Anderson draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.