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Anderson

Boy name · 28 babies recorded · 1974–2025

Anderson: 28 babies born in Scotland since 1974, given to boys, peaking at 5 births in 2019.

Anderson is a surname-turned-first-name, rooted in the patronymic tradition meaning "son of Andrew," with Andrew itself deriving from the Greek *Andreas*, meaning "manly" or "brave." It gained prominence in Scotland as a clan name, particularly associated with the Clan Anderson of the Scottish Highlands. Famous bearers include the American musician and filmmaker Anderson .Paak, whose stage name honours his father, and the British explorer Sir James Anderson, who captained the SS *Great Eastern* during the laying of the first transatlantic telegraph cable. The name also connects to the Scottish town of St Andrews, whose patron saint shares the same root. As a first name, Anderson has a modern, surname-as-given-name feel, rising in popularity in Scotland since the 1990s, particularly in the Central Belt.