Total births
4,801
Boys' name · since 1882
Ansel
Since 1882, U.S. Social Security records show 4,801 babies named Ansel, peaking in 2025. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #1287
- among boys today
- 4,801
- born since 1882
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 91%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Ansel is the #1287 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 4,801 recorded since 1882.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Ansel has been recorded 4,801 times among boys since 1882, currently ranked #1287 nationally and more common than 91% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 2010s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1882 to 2025.
- #1287 among boys today
- 4,801 born since 1882
- 2010s peak decade
- 91% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Ansel is currently the #1287 boys' name in America, more common than 91% of boys - 4,801 born since 1882, peaking in the 2010s.
- #1287
- among boys today
- 4,801
- born since 1882
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 91%
- more common than other boys
Ansel vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#1287
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 91% of names given to boys today.
2010s
Peak decade
25% of everyone ever named Ansel was born in this single decade.
2025
Single peak year
186 babies were named Ansel in 2025 - its busiest year on record.
How Ansel compares
4,801 Top 12% higher than 88% 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
Ansel's all-time total is 13x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Ansel | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 4,801 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 186 | 23 | 22,252 |
Ansel's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Ansel's full recorded timeline at 1959, 71% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 29% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1882, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2025 peak of 186 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Ansel at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2025
Current rank
#1,287
Active since
1882
Ansel popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1882–2025
- Peak year (2025)
- 186
- Annual births at peak, across 144 years of records
Ansel popularity over time - girls
10 total births recorded since 1918 (Ansel as girls' name)
Ansel by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Ansel's strongest decade.
1,204 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 25% of all-time use.
Ansel births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 23
1880s
23 births
- 1890s 53
1890s
53 births
- 1900s 40
1900s
40 births
- 1910s 307
1910s
307 births
- 1920s 387
1920s
387 births
- 1930s 238
1930s
238 births
- 1940s 203
1940s
203 births
- 1950s 170
1950s
170 births
- 1960s 124
1960s
124 births
- 1970s 160
1970s
160 births
- 1980s 188
1980s
188 births
- 1990s 250
1990s
250 births
- 2000s
2000s
483 births
- 2010s
2010s
1,204 births
- 2020s
2020s
971 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 1,204 births (25% of all-time use).
How Ansel 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 Ansel's total volume
Ansel vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Ansel by state
Where Ansel concentrates geographically, total births since 1882
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 577 | 12.0% |
| #2 | South Carolina | | 263 | 5.5% |
| #3 | Texas | | 169 | 3.5% |
| #4 | New York | | 157 | 3.3% |
| #5 | Colorado | | 107 | 2.2% |
| #6 | Washington | | 74 | 1.5% |
| #7 | Florida | | 62 | 1.3% |
| #8 | Oregon | | 47 | 1.0% |
California share of Ansel's total US births 12.0%
Even split
577 of 4,801 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 25 reporting states.
Ansel appears in 25 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Ansel? ▼
4,801 babies have been named Ansel since 1882. It currently ranks #1287 among boys. The peak year was 2025 with 186 births.
When was Ansel most popular? ▼
Ansel was most popular in the 2010s decade with 1,204 total births. The single peak year was 2025.
Where is Ansel most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Ansel are California (577 births), South Carolina (263 births), Texas (169 births).
How long has the name Ansel been used? ▼
Ansel has been recorded in Social Security data since 1882, spanning 144 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Ansel? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Anson, Anselmo, Ansh, Anshul, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Ansel's data
- Ansel's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (1,204 total births) through the 2020s (971) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Ansels (577 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 Ansel
Nearby Names Like Ansel
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Ansel
Anson Boy
#1390 7,932 births
Anselmo Boy
#5080 2,748 births
Ansh Boy
#1889 2,244 births
Anshul Boy
382 births
Anselm Boy
#9959 304 births
Compare Ansel side by side: Ansel vs Anson Ansel vs Anselmo Ansel vs Ansh
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Ansel
Will #1286
45,952 births · Peak 1888
Graysen #1288
4,384 births · Peak 2016
Lahiam #1285
266 births · Peak 2024
Karsyn #1289
2,898 births · Peak 2020
Xavi #1284
2,486 births · Peak 2011
Ulysses #1290
18,655 births · Peak 1999
Draco #1283
1,424 births · Peak 2021
Booker #1291
12,230 births · Peak 1916
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, 1882–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Ansel: #1287 Boys' Name - 4,801 Births, Peak 2025." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/ansel. 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 Ansel 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.