The first name Anselm
A boy’s name meaning “god”, “helmet”.
Pronounced /ˈænˌsɛlm/ 2 syllables Male
Meaning and origin
Anselm means “god”, “helmet”.
From Proto-Germanic *ansuz (“god”) + Old High German hëlm (“helmet”).
More names that mean god.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
Anselm last appeared in the official list in 2024, given to 3 boys. It peaked in 2008, with 4 births (#3,687).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Anselm with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Anselm at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 9 boys born in the United States were named Anselm, the 8,307th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 2016, when 12 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.
Anselm in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Spelled Anselm in Catalan, German and Romanian too.
Nicknames and spellings
Other spellings and forms
- Anselma
Famous people named Anselm
17 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Anselm of Canterbury11th‑century Benedictine monk, Archbishop of Canterbury, philosopher and theologian, 1033–1109
- Anselm FeuerbachGerman painter (1829–1880)
- Paul Johann Anselm Ritter von FeuerbachGerman legal scholar (1775-1833)
- Anselm GrünGerman Benedictine padre and author, born 1945
- Anselm HüttenbrennerAustrian composer (1794–1868)
- Anselm StraussAmerican sociologist (1916-1996)
- Joseph Anselm FeuerbachGerman archaeologist (1798-1851)
- Anselm von RothschildAustrian banker and art collector in Vienna (1803-1874)
- Anselm HolloFinnish poet, 1934–2013
- Anselm FranzAustrian engineer (1900–1994)
- Anselm J. McLaurinAmerican politician (1848–1909)
- Josep Anselm ClavéCatalan businessperson, composer and writer (1824-1874)
Questions
- What does the name Anselm mean?
- Anselm means “god”, “helmet”.
- How popular is the name Anselm?
- In 2024, 3 boys born in England and Wales were named Anselm, ranking 5,119th. Its peak was 2008, with 4 births.
- Is Anselm a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a boy's name: 100% of the 304 US babies named Anselm since 1880 were boys.
- When was Anselm most popular?
- 2016 in the United States, when 12 babies were named Anselm, its highest rank at 6,748th.
- How do you pronounce Anselm?
- Anselm is /ˈænˌsɛlm/, 2 syllables.
- What are other spellings of Anselm?
- Anselma.