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At a Glance: Name: Anson – Meaning: son of Agnes (via the medieval pet-name 'An') – Origin: English (surname, patronymic) – Gender: Boy – Pronunciation: AN-sun
Anson is an English surname with roots as a patronymic, meaning 'son of Agnes,' built from a medieval pet form of the name Agnes. You may see it listed elsewhere as meaning 'son of the divine' or 'godly son' — that's not accurate; the name traces to Agnes, not to any divine reference. It's pronounced AN-sun.
Meaning & Origin of Anson
Meaning: Son of agnes (via the medieval pet-name 'an').
Origin: English (surname, patronymic).
A common claim: Frequently listed as meaning 'son of the divine' or 'godly son.' Actually: Anson doesn't mean 'son of the divine' — it's an English surname meaning 'son of Agnes,' from a medieval pet form of Agnes, not a reference to divinity.
Source: Wiktionary.
How to Pronounce Anson
Phonetic: AN-sun IPA: /ˈænsən/
Popularity of Anson
Anson peaked at #598 in 1881 with 9 babies given the name, and by 2024 it ranked #1390 with 134 babies — a lower rank than its 1881 peak, but with more children given the name in the most recent year on record.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration birth-name data via names_full.json, 1880–2024.
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Names With a Similar Story
Derived from shared style, era, and origin data (or, for names without a catalog record, a similar Social Security popularity trajectory) — not a hand-picked list.
FAQ
What does the name Anson mean?
Son of agnes (via the medieval pet-name ‘an’). (Source: Wiktionary, https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Anson)
How do you pronounce Anson?
Anson is pronounced AN-sun (IPA: /ˈænsən/).
Is Anson a popular name right now?
Anson peaked at #598 in 1881 and is ranked #1390 as of 2024. (U.S. Social Security Administration data, 1880–2024.)
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