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Anderson

♀ Girl

Pronounced AN-der-suhn /ˈæn.dɚ.sən/Medium

Meaning: a patronymic surname meaning 'son of Andrew'; Andrew derives from Greek 'andreios' meaning 'manly'Medium

In 30 seconds: Anderson is a patronymic surname meaning 'son of Andrew', now worn as a given name; behind it stands Andrew, from Greek 'andreios', 'manly'.

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Origin MediumEnglish, Scottish

Meaninga patronymic surname meaning 'son of Andrew'; Andrew derives from Greek 'andreios' meaning 'manly'

U.S. rank (2025)#1243 ↗ Rising

2025 U.S. births181 girls (0.01% of U.S. girls)

Peak year2025

Total births (all-time)≈ 1,655

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Anderson began life as a family name marking descent, literally 'son of Andrew', and is especially associated with Scottish lines. The Andrew at its core traces to Greek 'andreios', meaning 'manly' or 'brave'. Used for a girl, the name keeps that surname formality while shedding its original 'son of' literalism.

It carries the crisp, three-syllable weight of a last-name-first choice, and its strength comes from that buried Greek sense of courage rather than from anything decorative.

Did you know? Anderson likely reached first-name use through a surname or place-name route, which gives it that modern borrowed-from-history feel.

Overall data confidence 78%

Behind the Name - Anderson — etymology, usage, pronunciation, and related formsU.S. Social Security Administration — 2024 popularity rank and count supplied in the batch input CSV

Variations

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Nicknames

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Famous Bearers

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If you like Anderson…

Andrew— the personal name embedded in Anderson, source of its 'manly, brave' meaning

Andrea— draws on the same Greek 'andreios' root that gives Anderson its core sense

Anders— the Scandinavian form of Andrew that the surname Anderson was built from

Alyson— lands in the same popularity range

Addyson— shares Anderson's English roots

Explore names like Anderson

By themeenglish surname-style portuguese

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Anderson mean?

Anderson is usually explained as meaning 'son of Andrew ' and is most often linked with English tradition.

How do you pronounce Anderson?

It's commonly said AN-der-suhn /ˈæn.dɚ.sən/.

Is Anderson a boy or girl name?

In this batch and in recent U.S. usage data, Anderson is used as a girl name.

How popular is Anderson?

In 2024, Anderson ranked #1711 in the U.S. for girls, with 118 births recorded.