Arthur

Did you know?

A few things about Arthur you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.

⭐ Famous Arthur

Arthur Conan Doyle

British writer and physician (1859–1930)

Choose Arthur and your child shares a first name with Arthur Conan Doyle, a British writer and physician. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Arthur, like who?” Arthur Conan Doyle's Wikipedia article is available in 183 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.

Read about Arthur Conan Doyle on Wikipedia ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Photo: Walter Benington, Public domain (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons

• 👶How commonAbout 1 in every 444 baby boys born in the US in 2025 was named Arthur, 3,847 babies in all. In a school of 500 kids, there'd probably be one other Arthur.
• 📜HistoryArthur has been in use since at least 1880, the first year US birth records were kept. That's 145 years of Arthurs, and counting.
• 🏆Best yearIt was far more popular in 1901, when it ranked #14. Today it's #87, so it could be due a comeback.
• 📈Then vs nowArthur is 4.8× more common today than it was in 2000. In 2000 it was given to about 1 in 2,149 baby boys; in 2025, about 1 in 444.
• 🚀TrendArthur has climbed 76 places in the US rankings over the last five years and now sits at #87. Fast risers like this often keep climbing, so expect to hear it more.
• 📍Where it's lovedArthur is most popular in Vermont, where it ranks #21, followed by Washington, D.C. (#25) and Washington (#34). It makes the top 1,000 in almost every state.
• 💬MeaningIn Celtic, Arthur means “possibly bear”. Our records link it to Celtic, English and Irish roots.
• 🌍OriginArthur is the #10 most popular Celtic boy name in the US. That's out of 542 Celtic boy and unisex names in our list.

About the name Arthur

Arthur is a boy name of Celtic, English and Irish origin meaning “possibly bear”. It has 6 letters and 2 syllables, starting with A and ending in “-hur”. US birth records list Arthur for boys from 1880 to 2025, in 146 of those 146 years. Its best year was 1901, when it ranked #14 among boy names. In 2025 it ranked #87, with 3,847 babies.

Origin:Celtic namesEnglish namesIrish namesScottish namesWelsh names