The first name Anakin
A boy’s name.
Pronounced /ˈænəkɪn/ 3 syllables Male
Meaning and origin
Coined by American filmmaker George Lucas as early as 1974 in early drafts of Star Wars, which included a character named Annikin Starkiller. First appeared in 1977 in the novel Star Wars: From the Adventures of Luke Skywalker.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 13 boys were named Anakin, making it the 1,897th most popular boys’ name. It peaked in 2022, with 21 births (#1,268).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Anakin with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Anakin at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 427 boys born in the United States were named Anakin, the 648th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 2023, when 541 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Questions
- What does the name Anakin mean?
- Coined by American filmmaker George Lucas as early as 1974 in early drafts of Star Wars, which included a character named Annikin Starkiller. First appeared in 1977 in the novel Star Wars: From the Adventures of Luke Skywalker.
- How popular is the name Anakin?
- In 2025, 13 boys born in England and Wales were named Anakin, ranking 1,897th. Its peak was 2022, with 21 births.
- Is Anakin a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a boy's name: 99% of the 5,892 US babies named Anakin since 1880 were boys.
- When was Anakin most popular?
- 2023 in the United States, when 541 babies were named Anakin, its highest rank at 544th.
- How do you pronounce Anakin?
- Anakin is /ˈænəkɪn/, 3 syllables.