Declining since 2015, #1,525 for girls today.
Popularity of Anniston since 1996
Babies named Anniston per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1990s | 49 |
| 2000s | 443 |
| 2010s | 2,207 |
| 2020s | 961 |
Meaning & origin
Anniston is a modern American coinage that emerged in the mid-1990s, first recorded in 1996. It reached its peak popularity in 2014, but has since seen a decline, falling consistently after 2015. The name is rare, with an estimated 1 in 11,563 newborns receiving it in 2025. Geography plays a role in its use: it is most common in Louisiana, Arkansas, and Kentucky, suggesting a Southern favoritism. The name's construction follows a fashionable pattern of surnames ending in -son or -ston, similar to Addison or Grayson, but with a distinctive feminine touch via the root Ann.
Anniston is a modern given name derived from the English surname Anniston, which itself originates from a place name meaning 'Ann's town' (the given name Ann combined with the Old English 'tun' meaning 'enclosure' or 'settlement'). The surname has been used in England since the medieval period, but its adoption as a first name is a relatively recent phenomenon, likely influenced by the popularity of surnames as first names and the trendy -ston/-son suffix.
Where Anniston is most popular
Births per 100,000 girls by state, 2025. The lightest shade means too few recorded births.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Annie, Ann, Nis
Sibling names for Anniston
Names that share Anniston's style, for a brother or sister.
