Fun Facts About the Name Ansel
- More than 4 thousand babies named Ansel: U.S. records list 4,810 babies given the name Ansel from 1880 through 2025. Even 10 girls received the name Ansel - about 1 girl for every 480 boys.
What Does the Name Ansel Mean?
Ansel is a Germanic name built from two elements: ans, meaning "god" or "a deity" (the same root appears in Old Norse áss), and helm, meaning "helmet" or "protection." Read literally, the name means "god-helmet," which is usually given in English as "divine protection" or "God's protection." It is closely related to the fuller name Anselm, which joins the same two elements and was Latinized as Anselmus. Ansel is often treated as a shortened form of Anselm, but it also stands on its own as a Germanic name with the same roots.
Ansel Name History & Origins
Two-element Germanic names of this type were common in the medieval period, pairing a word for a god or divine power with a word for protection. The ans- element also appears in names such as Ansgar, and the combination with helm underlies both Ansel and Anselm. Anselm of Canterbury, the eleventh-century theologian and archbishop, bore the Latinized form Anselmus; his prominence kept the Anselm family of names in circulation in England and on the European continent.
Ansel has been used as an English given name, partly as a familiar short form of Anselm, and it continued in occasional use into the modern era. A well-known recent bearer was the American photographer Ansel Adams (1902 - 1984).
How Popular is the Name Ansel?
Ansel recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 2025. Its best rank was #540 in 1893.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | #16,496 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1918 | #4,852 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,138 | 186 | 0.0109% |
| 2024 | #1,285 | 152 | 0.0089% |
| 2023 | #1,201 | 166 | 0.0097% |
| 2022 | #1,300 | 146 | 0.0084% |
| 2021 | #1,224 | 157 | 0.0090% |
| 2020 | #1,179 | 163 | 0.0094% |
| 2019 | #1,327 | 137 | 0.0076% |
| 2018 | #1,128 | 171 | 0.0094% |
| 2017 | #1,236 | 148 | 0.0080% |
| 2016 | #1,183 | 160 | 0.0084% |
| 2015 | #1,175 | 158 | 0.0082% |
| 2014 | #1,485 | 109 | 0.0057% |
| 2013 | #1,545 | 102 | 0.0054% |
| 2012 | #2,017 | 69 | 0.0036% |
| 2011 | #1,867 | 75 | 0.0039% |
| 2010 | #1,899 | 75 | 0.0039% |
| 2009 | #2,487 | 51 | 0.0026% |
| 2008 | #2,141 | 63 | 0.0031% |
| 2007 | #2,164 | 62 | 0.0030% |
| 2006 | #2,479 | 49 | 0.0024% |
| 2005 | #1,839 | 70 | 0.0035% |
| 2004 | #2,285 | 50 | 0.0025% |
| 2003 | #2,355 | 45 | 0.0023% |
| 2002 | #2,561 | 38 | 0.0020% |
| 2001 | #3,145 | 28 | 0.0014% |
| 2000 | #3,153 | 27 | 0.0014% |
| 1999 | #2,943 | 28 | 0.0015% |
| 1998 | #3,395 | 22 | 0.0012% |
| 1997 | #2,751 | 28 | 0.0015% |
| 1996 | #3,554 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 1995 | #2,628 | 28 | 0.0015% |
| 1994 | #2,771 | 26 | 0.0013% |
| 1993 | #2,512 | 29 | 0.0015% |
| 1992 | #3,109 | 21 | 0.0011% |
| 1991 | #2,472 | 28 | 0.0014% |
| 1990 | #2,957 | 21 | 0.0010% |
| 1989 | #2,693 | 23 | 0.0011% |
| 1988 | #2,437 | 24 | 0.0013% |
| 1987 | #2,564 | 21 | 0.0011% |
| 1986 | #3,009 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 1985 | #2,361 | 22 | 0.0012% |
| 1984 | #2,830 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 1983 | #2,584 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 1982 | #3,492 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1981 | #2,683 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 1980 | #2,540 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 1979 | #3,177 | 13 | 0.0008% |
| 1978 | #2,136 | 22 | 0.0013% |
| 1977 | #1,951 | 25 | 0.0015% |
| 1976 | #2,421 | 18 | 0.0011% |
| 1975 | #3,673 | 9 | 0.0006% |
| 1974 | #3,854 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1973 | #2,220 | 18 | 0.0012% |
| 1972 | #2,997 | 11 | 0.0007% |
| 1971 | #2,565 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 1970 | #1,890 | 22 | 0.0012% |
| 1969 | #2,312 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 1968 | #2,449 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1967 | #2,476 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1966 | #2,469 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1965 | #1,857 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 1964 | #3,616 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1963 | #2,205 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 1962 | #1,968 | 17 | 0.0008% |
| 1961 | #2,544 | 11 | 0.0005% |
| 1960 | #2,693 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1959 | #2,301 | 13 | 0.0006% |
| 1958 | #2,097 | 15 | 0.0007% |
| 1957 | #2,098 | 15 | 0.0007% |
| 1956 | #2,018 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 1955 | #1,792 | 19 | 0.0009% |
| 1954 | #1,709 | 20 | 0.0010% |
| 1953 | #2,101 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 1952 | #1,617 | 22 | 0.0011% |
| 1951 | #1,685 | 20 | 0.0011% |
| 1950 | #1,882 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 1949 | #1,618 | 21 | 0.0012% |
| 1948 | #1,614 | 21 | 0.0012% |
| 1947 | #1,851 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 1946 | #2,151 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1945 | #1,497 | 20 | 0.0015% |
| 1944 | #1,330 | 25 | 0.0018% |
| 1943 | #1,216 | 32 | 0.0022% |
| 1942 | #2,044 | 13 | 0.0009% |
| 1941 | #1,533 | 20 | 0.0016% |
| 1940 | #1,434 | 22 | 0.0019% |
| 1939 | #2,058 | 12 | 0.0011% |
| 1938 | #1,441 | 22 | 0.0020% |
| 1937 | #1,531 | 20 | 0.0019% |
| 1936 | #1,463 | 21 | 0.0020% |
| 1935 | #1,586 | 19 | 0.0018% |
| 1934 | #1,192 | 31 | 0.0030% |
| 1933 | #1,181 | 31 | 0.0031% |
| 1932 | #1,548 | 21 | 0.0020% |
| 1931 | #1,429 | 24 | 0.0023% |
| 1930 | #1,152 | 37 | 0.0034% |
| 1929 | #1,482 | 24 | 0.0022% |
| 1928 | #1,167 | 37 | 0.0033% |
| 1927 | #1,268 | 33 | 0.0029% |
| 1926 | #1,219 | 35 | 0.0032% |
| 1925 | #1,042 | 44 | 0.0039% |
| 1924 | #1,135 | 40 | 0.0035% |
| 1923 | #962 | 51 | 0.0047% |
| 1922 | #1,032 | 47 | 0.0043% |
| 1921 | #1,122 | 40 | 0.0036% |
| 1920 | #1,208 | 36 | 0.0034% |
| 1919 | #1,000 | 46 | 0.0047% |
| 1918 | #1,258 | 31 | 0.0031% |
| 1917 | #1,064 | 39 | 0.0042% |
| 1916 | #893 | 49 | 0.0055% |
| 1915 | #963 | 42 | 0.0049% |
| 1914 | #1,020 | 30 | 0.0046% |
| 1913 | #855 | 32 | 0.0062% |
| 1912 | #971 | 22 | 0.0051% |
| 1911 | #1,293 | 8 | 0.0035% |
| 1910 | #1,201 | 8 | 0.0041% |
| 1909 | #1,025 | 9 | 0.0055% |
| 1908 | #1,223 | 6 | 0.0039% |
| 1906 | #854 | 9 | 0.0068% |
| 1905 | #1,095 | 6 | 0.0045% |
| 1902 | #1,147 | 5 | 0.0041% |
| 1900 | #1,321 | 5 | 0.0033% |
| 1897 | #1,068 | 5 | 0.0044% |
| 1895 | #741 | 9 | 0.0077% |
| 1894 | #861 | 7 | 0.0060% |
| 1893 | #540 | 13 | 0.0116% |
| 1892 | #1,075 | 5 | 0.0041% |
| 1891 | #701 | 8 | 0.0079% |
| 1890 | #889 | 6 | 0.0054% |
| 1889 | #883 | 6 | 0.0054% |
| 1888 | #1,042 | 5 | 0.0041% |
| 1886 | #760 | 7 | 0.0063% |
| 1882 | #951 | 5 | 0.0044% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Ansel Shapes Your Personality and Life?
Powerful and complete. You are good intellectually and require several outlets for your energies. You are not a builder but a planner, and you want others to carry out your plans. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
You find the best contentment in life when you own your own home and provide well for your family and loved ones. You have a great sense of responsibility and duty. You are comforting, appreciative and affectionate. Your obligation in life is to hold justice and truth, and if you follow the Law, you can find the great happiness and satisfaction.
✦ Ansel's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Ansel's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.