Unisex name · since 1972
Anu
282 babies named Anu in U.S. Social Security records since 1972, with the highest year being 2004. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #16,432 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 282
- born since 1972
- 2000s
- peak decade
Anu is not among the current top-ranked girls names; 282 have been recorded since 1972.
Social Security Administration records show Anu recorded 282 times among girls since 1972, though it doesn't currently rank among the most-used girls names, peaking in the 2000s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1972 to 2024.
- #16,432 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- 282 born since 1972
- 2000s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Anu ranks #16,432 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 282 born since 1972, peaking in the 2000s.
- #16,432 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 282
- born since 1972
- 2000s
- peak decade
Anu's 282 recorded births place it above 77.24% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
No state rows cleared SSA’s public reporting threshold for this name.
Anu's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Anu's SSA record in two at 2005 and the more recent half accounts for 54% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 46%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 1987, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 2004 peak of 15, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Anu popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1972–2024
- Peak year (2004)
- 15
- Annual births at peak, across 53 years of records
Anu popularity over time - boys
85 total births recorded since 2005 (Anu as boys' name)
Anu by decade
2000s is the heaviest window (75 births, 27% of the file).
2000s was Anu's strongest decade.
75 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 27% of all-time use.
Anu births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1970s 21
1970s
21 births
- 1980s 25
1980s
25 births
- 1990s
1990s
50 births
- 2000s
2000s
75 births
- 2010s
2010s
67 births
- 2020s
2020s
44 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 75 births (27% of all-time use).
Frequently Asked Questions
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What to do with Anu's data
- Anu's usage has stayed within range of its 2000s decade-level peak (75 total births) through the 2020s (44) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Anu
Nearby Names Like Anu
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Anu
Compare Anu side by side: Anu vs Anushka Anu vs Anusha Anu vs Anum
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Anu: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2004)
Similar record span (~52 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 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, 1972–2024 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
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 Anu 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 August 2026.