Arthur
Boy nameArthur has been given to 551,930 babies in the U.S. since 1880. It peaked in 1921 and currently ranks #87 for boys (2025).
Meaning & origin /ˈɑːθə/
API From the name of the legendary king, from Middle English Arthure, from Medieval Latin Arthurus, probably from Middle Welsh arth (“bear”). Other suggestions include Old Welsh arth (“bear”) and ur (“man”), or a Latinized (Romano-British) name; compare Latin Artorius, itself possibly of Etruscan origin, or more likely Messapic-Illyrian related to Proto-Albanian *artsa (“bear”).
Origin: Celtic languages
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Popularity over time births per year, 1880–2025
Total babies
551,930
Peak year
1921 (10,579 babies)
Rank in 2025
#87 for boys
First recorded
1880
10-year trend
▲ +209%
Gender split
1% girls / 99% boys
Famous people named Arthur
Arthur Conan Doyle
British writer and physician (1859–1930)
Arthur Schopenhauer
German philosopher (1788-1860)
Arthur C. Clarke
British science fiction writer, inventor, and futurist (1917–2008)
Neville Chamberlain
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1937 to 1940
Notability data from Wikidata (CC0).
Names with a similar vibe
Same primary gender, peaked around the same years, and roughly as common as Arthur.
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