UK boy's name
Anderson
A masculine name of English origin meaning "son of Andrew".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Anderson is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Anderson popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #1758, with 14 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2015, with 33 births.
This profile covers 467 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 42% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 492 living people in the UK are called Anderson. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Anderson ranked #1758 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 14 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2015, when 33 boys were registered as Anderson.
- • Anderson ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #535 in 2024.
- • About 492 living people in the UK are estimated to have Anderson as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#1758
2024
Births in 2024
14
Latest year
Peak year
2015
33 births
Estimated living
492
2026
Meaning
What does Anderson mean?
The name Anderson originates from the Old English words "Andr" and "sunu," meaning "son of Andr." It is believed to have been derived from the Greek name "Andreas," which means "manly" or "brave." This name has its roots in the early medieval period, around the 5th to 10th centuries AD.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Anderson dates back to the 12th century in England. It was initially a patronymic surname, indicating the son of a person named Andr or Andrew. Over time, it transitioned into a given name in its own right.
In the 13th century, the name appears in various historical records, such as the Domesday Book and the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire. This suggests that it was already in use among the Anglo-Saxon population of Britain at that time.
One notable historical figure with the name Anderson was Sir Edmund Anderson (1530-1605), an English jurist and Lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. He played a significant role in the legal system of his time.
Another prominent individual was Andrew Anderson (1746-1820), a Scottish scientist and inventor who made important contributions to the development of the steam engine and the application of steam power in transportation.
In the literary world, Sherwood Anderson (1876-1941) was an American novelist and short story writer known for his works such as "Winesburg, Ohio" and his influence on the modernist movement in literature.
The name also found its way into the realm of music with Anderson Paak (born 1986), an American rapper, singer, and songwriter known for his unique blend of genres and collaborations with artists like Dr. Dre and Kendrick Lamar.
Lastly, Anderson Silva (born 1975) is a Brazilian former professional mixed martial artist and one of the most successful and influential figures in the history of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
These examples demonstrate the widespread use of the name Anderson across various fields and cultures throughout history, from law and science to literature, music, and sports.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Anderson over time
The chart below shows babies named Anderson registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Anderson, the clearest high point is 2015. The latest England and Wales figure is 14 births in 2024, compared with 33 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Anderson by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Anderson was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #1537 | 85 | 5 |
| 2010s | #1170 | 236 | 10 |
| 2000s | #1700 | 120 | 10 |
| 1990s | #1812 | 26 | 4 |
Geography
Where Anderson is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Anderson. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Anderson ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #535 in 2024.
Across the UK
Anderson in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#535 in 2024
7 years of NRS records, 28 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Anderson
-
Anderson Tyrer
conductor; pianist
British musician and conductor
1893-1962
-
Anderson Gray McKendrick
military physician; epidemiologist; statistician
Scottish epidemiologist
1876-1943
-
Anderson Williams Waterman
association football player
Brazilian association football player
?-1969
Related
Names similar to Anderson
- Alfie 86,546
- Alexander 85,525
- Adam 71,855
- Archie 59,965
- Arthur 43,586
- Aaron 36,366
- Alex 32,729
- Andrew 20,169
- Arlo 19,061
- Aidan 16,776
- Albie 16,017
- Albert 15,809
FAQ
Anderson: questions and answers
How popular is the name Anderson in the UK right now?
In 2024, Anderson was ranked #1758 for boys in England and Wales, with 14 births registered.
When was Anderson most popular?
The peak year on record was 2015, with 33 babies registered as Anderson in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Anderson?
A masculine name of English origin meaning "son of Andrew".
How many people are called Anderson in the UK?
A total of 467 babies have been registered as Anderson across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 28 more in Scotland.
Where is Anderson most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Anderson ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #535 in 2024. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.