Anderson is a Scottish and Scandinavian surname meaning "son of Andrew", and Andrew in turn comes from the Greek andreios, "manly" or "brave". Journalist Anderson Cooper has given the name a modern face in the United States, and it fits the fashion for -son surnames like Jackson and Harrison. Anderson rose from number 784 in 2000 to a peak of number 280 in 2012 and ranks number 363 in 2025.