Arthur
A name of unsettled origin, perhaps from a Celtic word for bear, artos, or from the Roman family name Artorius. Legend attached it to the British king.
Arthur in 2025
Arthur was given to 3,847 babies in the United States in 2025, making it the 155th most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 862 babies born.
The history of Arthur
Arthur reached its highest point in 1921, when 10,579 babies were given the name, ranking 37th that year. Its best-ever ranking was 19th, in 1880.
Across the 146 years of records since 1880, 551,930 babies have been named Arthur. Half of them were born before 1939, which places the name's centre of gravity with the Silent Generation.
Arthur by decade
| Decade | Babies named Arthur | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 16,246 | 19 |
| 1890s | 16,431 | 41 |
| 1900s | 15,505 | 57 |
| 1910s | 67,812 | 32 |
| 1920s | 97,818 | 35 |
| 1930s | 68,275 | 50 |
| 1940s | 74,329 | 66 |
| 1950s | 66,028 | 95 |
| 1960s | 39,910 | 175 |
| 1970s | 22,303 | 239 |
| 1980s | 16,951 | 301 |
| 1990s | 11,822 | 390 |
| 2000s | 8,342 | 650 |
| 2010s | 12,632 | 317 |
| 2020s | 17,526 | 155 |
Where Arthur is heading
Arthur has risen 209% over the past decade, from 1,247 babies in 2015 to 3,847 in 2025.
Names like Arthur
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Arthur.