Total births
2,797
Girls' name · since 1962
Anja
2,797 babies named Anja in U.S. Social Security records since 1962, with the highest year being 2006. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #3286
- among girls today
- 2,797
- born since 1962
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 81%
- more common than other girls
2,797 babies have been named Anja since 1962, making it today's #3286 girls' name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Anja has been recorded 2,797 times among girls since 1962, currently ranked #3286 nationally and more common than 81% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 2000s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1962 to 2025.
- #3286 among girls today
- 2,797 born since 1962
- 2000s peak decade
- 81% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Anja is currently the #3286 girls' name in America, more common than 81% of girls - 2,797 born since 1962, peaking in the 2000s.
- #3286
- among girls today
- 2,797
- born since 1962
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 81%
- more common than other girls
Anja vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#3286
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 81% of names given to girls today.
2000s
Peak decade
31% of everyone ever named Anja was born in this single decade.
2006
Single peak year
122 babies were named Anja in 2006 - its busiest year on record.
How Anja compares
2,797 Top 18% higher than 82% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls 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
Anja's all-time total is 7x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Anja | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 2,797 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 122 | 48 | 19,840 |
Anja's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Anja's full recorded timeline at 1994, 75% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 25% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1962, with just 7 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2006 peak of 122 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Anja at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2006
Current rank
#3,286
Active since
1962
Anja popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1962–2025
- Peak year (2006)
- 122
- Annual births at peak, across 64 years of records
Anja by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2000s was Anja's strongest decade.
872 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 31% of all-time use.
Anja births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1960s 157
1960s
157 births
- 1970s 195
1970s
195 births
- 1980s 216
1980s
216 births
- 1990s
1990s
400 births
- 2000s
2000s
872 births
- 2010s
2010s
674 births
- 2020s 283
2020s
283 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 872 births (31% of all-time use).
How Anja compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Anja's total volume
Anja vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Anja by state
Where Anja concentrates geographically, total births since 1962
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 250 | 8.9% |
| #2 | Minnesota | | 165 | 5.9% |
| #3 | Illinois | | 55 | 2.0% |
| #4 | Washington | | 55 | 2.0% |
| #5 | New York | | 53 | 1.9% |
| #6 | Colorado | | 41 | 1.5% |
| #7 | Wisconsin | | 41 | 1.5% |
| #8 | Michigan | | 40 | 1.4% |
California share of Anja's total US births 8.9%
Even split
250 of 2,797 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 17 reporting states.
Anja appears in 17 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Anja? ▼
Anja has been given to 2,797 babies in the U.S. since 1962, according to SSA data. Among girls, it ranks #3286 as of the latest data. 122 babies were born in 2006, its single highest year.
When was Anja most popular? ▼
Anja was most popular in the 2000s decade with 872 total births. The single peak year was 2006.
Where is Anja most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Anja are California (250 births), Minnesota (165 births), Illinois (55 births).
How long has the name Anja been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Anja since 1962 -- 64 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Anja? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Anjali, Anjelica, Anjanette, Anjelina, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Anja's data
- Anja's decade-level peak was the 2000s (872 total births); usage has since declined to 283 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Anjas (250 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California 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 Anja
Nearby Names Like Anja
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Anja
Anjali Girl
#2446 5,822 births
Anjelica Girl
#9689 4,336 births
Anjanette Girl
2,563 births
Anjelina Girl
615 births
Anjela Girl
#12394 587 births
Compare Anja side by side: Anja vs Anjali Anja vs Anjelica Anja vs Anjanette
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Anja
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, 1962–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Anja: #3286 Girls' Name - 2,797 Births, Peak 2006." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/anja. 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 Anja 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.