Anthem
A feminine name derived from the Greek word meaning "flower".
Name Census estimates that about 222 living Americans carry the first name Anthem. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 78.1% of registrations being male. The average person named Anthem today is around 7 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Anthem births was 2021 (28 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Anthem. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
222
~ 1 in 1,543,938 Americans
Peak year
2021
28 babies that year
Average age
7
years old
2024 SSA rank
#5,900
Tracked since 2008
Gender
Gender distribution for Anthem
Anthem is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 224 total registrations, 175 (78.1%) were male and 49 (21.9%) were female.
Anthem as a male name
- Ranked #5,900 in 2024
- 15 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2023 (21 births)
Anthem as a female name
- Ranked #15,451 in 2024
- 5 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2022 (9 births)
Popularity
Anthem: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Anthem from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 121 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Anthem by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Anthem during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Anthems live
Origin
Meaning and history of Anthem
The name Anthem is a relatively modern name that emerged in the English language in the late 19th century. It is believed to have its roots in the Greek word "antiphona," which means "a sound returned." This word eventually evolved into the English word "anthem," which refers to a celebratory song or hymn.
While the name Anthem is not directly derived from any ancient texts or religious scriptures, its connection to the concept of music and celebration is noteworthy. The earliest recorded use of the name Anthem dates back to the late 1800s, although it was initially more common as a surname.
One of the earliest known individuals with the first name Anthem was Anthem Beazley, an English cricketer who played for the Gloucestershire County Cricket Club in the early 20th century. He was born in 1892 and played cricket professionally until the 1920s.
Another notable figure with the name Anthem was Anthem Blanchard, an American artist and sculptor who was active in the mid-20th century. He was born in 1909 in New York and is known for his abstract expressionist works and public sculptures.
In the realm of literature, Anthem Haien was an American poet and author who published several collections of poetry in the late 20th century. She was born in 1948 and her works often explored themes of nature, identity, and spirituality.
Anthem Salgado, a Brazilian environmental activist and advocate for indigenous rights, has also made significant contributions to the preservation of the Amazon rainforest. She was born in 1962 and has been recognized for her tireless efforts in raising awareness about environmental issues.
Lastly, Anthem Moss is a contemporary British musician and composer who has gained recognition for her experimental and avant-garde compositions. Born in 1981, she has collaborated with various artists and her works often incorporate unconventional sound sources and electronic elements.
While the name Anthem may not have a long historical lineage, its unique quality and association with music, celebration, and artistic expression have contributed to its growing popularity in recent decades.
People
Anthem + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Anthem as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with A
Other first names starting with A with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Anthem: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Anthem?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 222 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Anthem going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 1,543,938 US residents.
Is Anthem a common name?
We classify Anthem as "Very Rare". It ranks above 75.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 224 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Anthem most popular?
The single biggest year for Anthem was 2021, when 28 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Anthem is about 7 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Anthem in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Anthem a male name?
Yes, 78.1% of people registered as Anthem in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Anthem still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Anthem in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Anthem can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many Americans are named Anthem?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the name Anthem at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.