Arthur Name Meaning, Origin, Popularity, Boy Names Like Arthur

Arthur Name Origin: Celtic
Pronunciation: arth-err
See what 19 people think about Arthur

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Arthur Name Meaning

The name Arthur is believed to have originated in ancient Britain. According to legend, he was the leader of a group of warriors known as the Knights of the Round Table. This legendary figure is thought to have lived sometime in the 5th or 6th century, and is said to have fought with immense courage and skill against the Anglo-Saxons who were invading Britain at the time.

The Meaning Behind the Name

The name Arthur has been given various meanings over the centuries. The most popular interpretation is that it comes from the Latin word “arturus”, which means “bear”, suggesting a brave and powerful leader. Some have also suggested that the name is derived from the Celtic word for “stone”, suggesting a strong and impenetrable foundation.

Arthur’s Rise to Popularity

The name Arthur gained in popularity during the Middle Ages, as a result of the popularity of the legendary King Arthur and the myths and stories that surrounded him. This popularity was further boosted during the 19th century, thanks to the publication of the novel “Ivanhoe” by Sir Walter Scott, in which the hero is named Arthur.

The name’s popularity has continued to rise ever since, and is now one of the most popular names for boys in the United States, the United Kingdom, and many other countries.

Arthur Today

Today, the name Arthur is synonymous with strength and courage, and is still a popular choice for parents looking to give their son a regal name. It is also used as a surname in some cases, as well as a nickname for people named Arthur.

Arthur Name Popularity

How popular is the name Arthur? Here’s everything we know.

Year	Rank	# Births	% Births
1910	17	1,931	0.5484%
1911	18	2,365	0.6351%
1912	15	4,678	0.9276%
1913	17	5,413	0.9547%
1914	18	6,638	0.9525%
1915	18	8,560	0.9422%
1916	18	8,917	0.9231%
1917	17	9,282	0.9278%
1918	17	10,098	0.9409%
1919	19	9,537	0.9108%
1920	18	10,236	0.9206%
1921	19	10,521	0.9188%
1922	19	10,112	0.9077%
1923	19	9,922	0.8859%
1924	20	10,172	0.8759%
1925	20	9,983	0.8832%
1926	20	9,456	0.8597%
1927	22	9,337	0.8435%
1928	22	8,875	0.8295%
1929	22	8,468	0.8175%
1930	23	8,275	0.7922%
1931	23	7,519	0.7618%
1932	25	6,913	0.6997%
1933	25	6,515	0.6993%
1934	29	6,436	0.6658%
1935	29	6,542	0.6732%
1936	30	6,259	0.6498%
1937	31	6,309	0.6403%
1938	32	6,515	0.6364%
1939	32	6,377	0.6269%
1940	33	6,507	0.6122%
1941	33	6,733	0.5982%
1942	29	8,019	0.635%
1943	30	7,777	0.5957%
1944	30	7,250	0.585%
1945	34	6,797	0.5573%
1946	36	7,537	0.5108%
1947	38	8,253	0.4944%
1948	44	7,583	0.475%
1949	44	7,472	0.4645%
1950	46	7,160	0.4447%
1951	44	7,416	0.4374%
1952	47	7,234	0.4144%
1953	50	6,996	0.3953%
1954	52	6,860	0.3753%
1955	56	6,572	0.3573%
1956	60	6,277	0.3323%
1957	65	6,058	0.3148%
1958	71	5,666	0.2998%
1959	77	5,467	0.2877%
1960	82	5,188	0.2738%
1961	85	4,812	0.2549%
1962	91	4,434	0.2415%
1963	91	4,270	0.2379%
1964	90	4,149	0.2357%
1965	96	3,771	0.2306%
1966	96	3,474	0.2225%
1967	94	3,309	0.218%
1968	98	3,034	0.2021%
1969	97	3,133	0.2034%
1970	111	2,968	0.1865%
1971	117	2,808	0.1869%
1972	119	2,390	0.1755%
1973	119	2,194	0.1692%
1974	126	2,069	0.1592%
1975	128	2,003	0.1559%
1976	137	1,891	0.1467%
1977	134	1,957	0.1452%
1978	140	1,864	0.1386%
1979	145	1,848	0.1311%
1980	148	1,796	0.1228%
1981	152	1,783	0.1213%
1982	156	1,785	0.1195%
1983	155	1,730	0.1172%
1984	160	1,675	0.1126%
1985	158	1,699	0.1119%
1986	169	1,563	0.1035%
1987	177	1,538	0.1008%
1988	181	1,541	0.0989%
1989	190	1,515	0.0939%
1990	195	1,517	0.0915%
1991	210	1,463	0.0898%
1992	219	1,380	0.0865%
1993	235	1,211	0.0777%
1994	249	1,127	0.0734%
1995	252	1,090	0.0723%
1996	275	989	0.0661%
1997	288	941	0.0636%
1998	289	947	0.0633%
1999	321	843	0.0563%
2000	314	893	0.0585%
2001	318	853	0.0566%
2002	327	809	0.054%
2003	350	764	0.0502%
2004	357	759	0.0498%
2005	355	799	0.0523%
2006	382	754	0.0482%
2007	377	784	0.0497%
2008	362	826	0.0534%
2009	375	779	0.0521%
2010	388	699	0.0485%
2011	336	864	0.0606%
2012	353	831	0.0583%
2013	320	1,000	0.0702%
2014	303	1,125	0.0772%
2015	289	1,225	0.0842%
2016	271	1,312	0.091%
2017	243	1,488	0.1066%
2018	228	1,624	0.1182%
2019	176	2,167	0.1601%
2020	166	2,235	0.1756%
2021	155	2,442	0.1998%

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Data via SSA.gov.

Names Like Arthur

If you like Arthur, you’ll love these other names like Arthur.

What names are diminutives of Arthur?

A diminutive is a name that’s like Arthur sounds, you might also like these names that sound like Arthur, but shorter.

Name	Meaning	Origin	Popularity	Other Gender
Art	A diminutive form of Arthur.	Irish

What names are variants of Arthur?

Mix it up with these names that are a variation of the name Arthur.

Name	Meaning	Origin
Aart		Celtic
Arrt		Celtic
Art	A diminutive form of Arthur.	Irish
Artair		Scottish
Arte		Celtic
Arther		Celtic
Arthor		Celtic
Arthuro		Celtic
Artie	Follower of the goddess Artemis	Greek
Arto		Celtic
Artor		Celtic
Artro		Celtic
Artturi		Celtic

Artur		Celtic
Arturo	An Italian and Spanish form of Arthur.	Italian
Artus		Celtic
Arty	Follower of the goddess Artemis	Greek

What names are similar to Arthur?

Find a name that’s like Arthur, but just a little bit different.

Name	Meaning	Origin	Popularity	Other Gender
Arthel		English

Lists With Arthur

Find inspiration in these baby boy name lists featuring the name Arthur.

Siblings of Arthur

Mamas with kids named Arthur also have kids with these names.

Name	Meaning	Origin
Arabella	Answered prayer	Latin
Alexander	Defender of man	Greek
Anastasia	Resurrection	Greek
Arya	Faithful friend	Persian
Jordan	To descend	Hebrew
Makayla	Who is like God?	American
Brittany	From Brittany or Great Britain	Latin

Share Your Thoughts

19 Comments

Cassie Oct 23 at 8:29 am

I chose the male name Arthur because of my roots of Scottish/Celtic origin. King Arthur is a favorite story of mine. My great grandpas name was Arthur and a good family friend of my husbands grandma name was Arthur. Also, for fun, I will say.. my last name is Morgan. So his full name is Arthur Morgan. If you know, you know 😉

Reply
Pauline Oct 3 at 6:01 am

His dad chose the name
I think it’s a cool name, I like it
I love my son very much, he’s so active all the time, always smiling

Reply
Tessie Cook Jun 27 at 1:54 pm

My husband is a huge bookworm and the story of King Arthur is one of his most loved since he was a child. I also grew up loving a book series called Arthur and the Invisibles so it had a personal connection for both of us.
You don’t hear that name anymore and it sounds so charming and robust when you hear it.
Our little King Arthur. ?

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Jennifer Jun 22 at 7:01 pm

We love Disney…and there are so many princesses/ female characters. However, not so many Princes. So next we looked into Kings and came up with Arthur. It is also a classic name and easy enough to say and read but not you hear everyday.

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Sarah Apr 14 at 9:46 am

I originally liked Liam but I knew it was one of the most popular names for the last 3 years and I wanted him to have a more unique name. I love that it’s Celtic in origin and means “bear” since I call him little bear a lot. I sometimes don’t like that people associate it with elderly men and will ask if I call him Arty, but I do like that it’s a strong name and one of the nicknames you can use for it is Thor!

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- Cassie Oct 23 at 8:32 am
  
  I didn’t think about the nickname Thor! That’s fun!!
  
  Reply
Sofia Nov 5 at 8:51 am

It’s a family name, we also like the meaning of it

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Vanais Aug 15 at 10:36 am

We wanted something timeless/classic but not overused. Also it needed to go with names of twin older sisters (one in heaven) Isla and Zo?.

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Ekaterina Jul 31 at 2:56 pm

We wanted to choose a name that was in the family and would not be very common. One of the more distant relatives on my side was called Arthur, and we liked that name. Also my husband’s favorite animal is a Bear, and this what the name means in Celtic.

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Zero Jul 31 at 1:17 pm

Arthur is cute name! That’s my crush name so it’s cute! Very good! 😀

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Hailey Jun 19 at 11:41 am

Arthur was my grandpa’s middle name. We like how it fits with our girls’ names which are both elegant Shakespearean names.

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Lauren Apr 3 at 12:30 pm

Arthur is named for his great grandfather. We named him Arthur Alexander since we couldn’t agree on an A name and this way he can choose what he’d like to go by when he’s older. We call him Artie. He is our first baby.

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Alison Oct 7 at 7:34 pm

My husband and I both liked Arthur after hearing it in an audiobook. The character was referred to as Art or Arty which we also really liked. My husband is an artist which is a happy coincidence too.

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Kimberly Jul 26 at 10:58 am

I have always loved the name Arthur and thought it perfect for one of my 2 Princes.

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rachel Jul 8 at 6:10 am

We wanted a more classic name that also wasn’t overused. Arthur is named after his great grandpa too.

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Kaylee Jun 25 at 4:35 pm

King Arthur is one of my fianc?’s favorite stories.

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Juliana Apr 26 at 2:16 pm

We’re brazilian and one of the biggest soccer players of all time, Zico, is actually named Arthur (Zico is a nickname). As my husband is a big fan of Zico we chose this beautiful powerful name to our son, born on Sep 8th 2017. In portuguese it’s traditionally spelled Artur, without an H, but usually when people don’t know if it has an H or not they usually put the H, so we chose the English version of it.

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Georgie Apr 23 at 7:26 pm

It’s an old fashioned name.
We loved it because it’s strong and classic.
When I think of an Arthur, I think of a kind, thoughtful gentleman.

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Kate Apr 14 at 2:06 pm

We wanted a traditional name that had fallen out of popularity. I wanted a name that would suit my son throughout his lifetime, as tempting as it is to go with something cute for when they’re babes and children, it needed to be a name for a man as well. It was also a family name for both of my husband’s parents, so it just felt right.

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