Total births
282
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.
- #11334
- among girls today
- 282
- born since 1972
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 36%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Anu is the #11334 most popular unisex name in the U.S. today, with 282 recorded since 1972.
Social Security Administration records show Anu recorded 282 times among girls since 1972, holding rank #11334 nationally today, ahead of 36% of girls, 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.
- #11334 among girls today
- 282 born since 1972
- 2000s peak decade
- 36% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Anu is currently the #11334 unisex name in America, more common than 36% of girls - 282 born since 1972, peaking in the 2000s.
- #11334
- among girls today
- 282
- born since 1972
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 36%
- more common than other girls
Anu vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#11334
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 36% of names given to girls today.
2000s
Peak decade
27% of everyone ever named Anu was born in this single decade.
2004
Single peak year
15 babies were named Anu in 2004 - its busiest year on record.
How Anu compares
282 44th percentile among 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
Anu's all-time total is 26% below the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Anu | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 282 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 15 | 48 | 19,840 |
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 at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2004
Current rank
#11,334
Active since
1972
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
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
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
How popular is the name Anu? ▼
Anu has been given to 282 babies in the U.S. since 1972, according to SSA data. Among girls, it ranks #11334 as of the latest data. 15 babies were born in 2004, its single highest year.
When was Anu most popular? ▼
Anu was most popular in the 2000s decade with 75 total births. The single peak year was 2004.
Is Anu a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Anu is used for both boys and girls. As a girl's name it has 282 births, and as a boy's name it has 85 births.
How long has the name Anu been used? ▼
Records for Anu go back to 1972, giving 53 years of history through 2024.
What names are similar to Anu? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Anushka, Anusha, Anum, Anuhea, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
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.
- 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 Anu
Nearby Names Like Anu
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Anu
Anushka Girl
#6064 1,703 births
Anusha Girl
#11443 1,164 births
Anum Girl
#14011 614 births
Anuhea Girl
#5236 523 births
Anupama Girl
177 births
Compare Anu side by side: Anu vs Anushka Anu vs Anusha Anu vs Anum
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Anu
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, 1972–2024 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Anu: #11334 Unisex Name - 282 Births, Peak 2004." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/anu. 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 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 June 2026.