Ansel

Ansel, primarily associated with the great western photographer Ansel Adams, famed for his magnificent photographs of the Yosemite Valley, could make a creative artist-hero choice. For Adams it was a family name – he was named after his uncle, Ansel Easton. And, in turn, Adams was the namesake of young heartthrob Ansel Elgort, son of a photographer.

Derived from the same root as Anselm, Ansel is a medieval Germanic name that still feels fresh and stylish today.

Ansel has been far from a unique baby name – it was on and off the popularity lists in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, reaching as high as Number 540 in 1893.

Ansel is also given to girls.

Pronounced AN-sul.

As of October 2026, Ansel ranked #1138 for boys in US births in 2025 and #16496 for girls in US births in 2016 SSA, peaked at #540 for boys in 1893 and #4852 for girls in 1918, Nameberry popularity #204 for boys.