Anderson
Top 1000
About Anderson
Rugged and tough, Anderson shot up quite a bit on the pop list in the 2000's, no doubt in large part due to the prominence of white-haired cable newsman Anderson Coopers, more recently, it has featured in the US Top 400, given to 943 boys in the latest count.
A surname relative of Andrew, Anderson means "son of Anders", Anders being a Scandinavian form of the classic name. More literally, the name means "son of the masculine, manly one", though nicknames Andy and Sonny soften it a little.
Actress Edie Falco was ahead of the trends when she named her son Anderson in 2005, but now it fits in with the likes of Judson, Harrison, and Emerson. It may also hold appeal as a fresh way to honor an Andrew, Andreas, or Andre, though Sanderson and Anders itself could be rarer alternatives.
Pronounced AN-der-sun.
As of October 2026, Anderson ranked #363 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #215 in 1882, Nameberry popularity #661.
Editor's take: The name Anderson is a boy's name of Scandinavian origin meaning "son of Anders".
Popularity & trends
Data table
| Year | US rank | Births | Per million |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | #304 | 1,163 | 605.5 |
| 2015 | #306 | 1,186 | 618.8 |
| 2016 | #304 | 1,162 | 612.3 |
| 2017 | #294 | 1,201 | 648.9 |
| 2018 | #297 | 1,173 | 645.9 |
| 2019 | #318 | 1,057 | 589.1 |
| 2020 | #306 | 1,083 | 627.4 |
| 2021 | #328 | 1,003 | 573.3 |
| 2022 | #337 | 1,001 | 573.3 |
| 2023 | #332 | 1,008 | 589.3 |
| 2024 | #356 | 943 | 547.3 |
| 2025 | #363 | 898 | 525.7 |
World rankings
Similar names
These 20 names were selected by our users looking for other names like Anderson.
- Grant
- Reese
- Dawson
- Benson
- Tucker
- Wes
- Walker
- Casey
- Brady
- Colby
- Deacon
- Clayton
- Preston
- Jameson
- Reece
- Lawson
- Davis
- Wade
- Drew
- Brody
Anderson on lists
Famous Andersons
- Anderson Hays Cooper
American journalist
- Anderson da Silva
Brazilian mixed martial artist
- Anderson Luís de Abreu
Brazilian footballer
- Anderson Paak
stage name of Brandon Paak Anderson, American singer and rapper
- Anderson Russell
American NFL player
- Andrew "Anderson" Dawson
Australian politician; Premier of Queensland for one week in 1899
- Anderson Hernández
Dominican baseball player
- Anderson Cléber Beraldo
Brazilian footballer
- Ânderson Corrêa Polga
Brazilian footballer
- Anderson Webb
YouTuber
Anderson in pop culture
- Anderson Carlisle
character in "Sims" series
- Thomas A. "Neo" Anderson
main character in The Matrix films
- Blaine and Cooper Anderson
characters on TV's "Glee"
- Phillip "The Idiot" Anderson
character on TV's Sherlock
- Sgt. Zeke Anderson
character on TV's Tour of Duty
- Mike Anderson
main character in video game Battle Clash/Metal Combat: Falcon's Revenge
- Judge Anderson
character in film Judge Dredd
- Alexander Anderson
character in the anime/manga Hellsing
- Tom Anderson
neighbor on TV's Beavis and Butthead
- Trent Anderson
character from Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol