Boy · #100 in 2026

Arthur

Arthur is a masculine given name of uncertain etymology. Its popularity derives from it being the name of the legendary hero King Arthur.

Current Rank
#100
Peak Rank
#14 (1921)
Total Babies
552K
5-Yr Trend
+53%
1880
First Year
2024
Last Year
1928
Peak Year
#731
Peak Rank
3K
Total Count
116
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Arthur

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Arthur is a masculine given name of uncertain etymology. Its popularity derives from it being the name of the legendary hero King Arthur.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Etymology
The earliest attestation of the name Arthur is in the early 9th century Welsh-Latin text Historia Brittonum , where it refers to a circa 5th century Romano-British general who fought against the invading Saxons , and who later gave rise to the famous King Arthur of medieval legend and literature. A possible earlier mention of the same man is to be found in the epic Welsh poem Y Gododdin by Aneirin , which some scholars assign to the late 6th century, though this is still a matter of debate and the poem only survives in a late 13th century manuscript entitled the Book of Aneirin . A 9th-century

The Story of Arthur

Arthur first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1880, with 1,599 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1921, when 10,527 Arthurs were born — ranking #19 that year. As of 2026, Arthur ranks #100 for baby boys with 3,413 births, rising sharply (+53% over the past five years). In total, more than 552K Arthurs have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Notable people named Arthur

A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.

  • Arthur or Arthur Melo (born 1996), Brazilian footballer
  • Arthur (footballer, born 2003) (Arthur Augusto de Matos Soares), Brazilian footballer
  • Arthur (footballer, born 2005) (Arthur Wenderroscky Sanches), Brazilian footballer
  • Arthur "Man" Agee Jr ., American former Chicago-area high school basketball player
  • Arthur Folasa Ah Loo (died 2025), Samoan fashion designer
  • Arthur Ahmed (born 1970), Ghanaian politician
  • Arthur Albiston (born 1957), Scottish footballer
  • Arthur Alexander (1940–1993), American soul singer and songwriter

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Names that sound like Arthur

Phonetically similar names — useful when Arthur is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Arthur

What does the name Arthur mean?
Arthur is a masculine given name of uncertain etymology. Its popularity derives from it being the name of the legendary hero King Arthur.
How popular is Arthur in 2026?
In 2026, Arthur ranks #100 among boys' names in the U.S., with 3,413 babies given the name that year.
When was Arthur most popular?
Arthur reached its peak popularity in 1921, ranking #14 that year with 10,527 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Arthur most popular?
Arthur has historically been most popular in North Dakota, Maine, Minnesota. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Arthur.
Is Arthur a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Arthur is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.
What names go well with Arthur?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Arthur include Fred, Albert, Raymond. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

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About the name Arthur

Arthur is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 552K births in the dataset. Arthur's peak popularity came in 1921 when it ranked #14. Use the chart and map above to compare Arthur's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

  • Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
  • Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
  • Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
  • Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
  • Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.