Anderson

//ˈæn.dɚ.sən// name

name ·Moderate ·College level

Definitions

Proper Noun
  1. 1
    A Scottish surname originating as a patronymic. countable

    ""It's almost too realistic, too digital and computery," complains Alexis Vogel, a veteran celebrity makeup artist who recently worked on "Stacked," a high-def show starring Pamela Anderson."

  2. 2
    A small village and civil parish (served by Lower Winterborne Parish Council) in Dorset, England (OS grid ref SY8797).
  3. 3
    A male given name. countable
  4. 4
    A placename; A river in British Columbia, Canada; flowing from near the Coquihalla Pass into the Fraser River near Boston Bar; named for fur trader James Anderson. countable, uncountable
  5. 5
    A placename; A river in the Northwest Territories, Canada; flowing 692 km from Colville Lake into the Beaufort Sea, probably named for fur trader Alexander Caulfield Anderson. countable, uncountable
Show 20 more definitions
  1. 6
    A placename; A river in Indiana, United States; flowing 80 km from near Eckerty into the Ohio at Troy. countable, uncountable
  2. 7
    A placename; A locality in Bass Coast Shire, Victoria, Australia; named for early settlers Samuel, Hugh and Thomas Anderson. countable, uncountable
  3. 8
    A placename; A locale in the United States:; A town in Lauderdale County, Alabama; named for local gristmill operator Samuel Anderson. countable, uncountable
  4. 9
    A placename; A locale in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Etowah County, Alabama. countable, uncountable
  5. 10
    A placename; A locale in the United States:; A city in Denali Borough, Alaska; named for homesteader Arthur Anderson. countable, uncountable
  6. 11
    A placename; A locale in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Scott County, Arkansas. countable, uncountable
  7. 12
    A placename; A locale in the United States:; A city in Shasta County, California; named for landowner Elias Anderson. countable, uncountable
  8. 13
    A placename; A locale in the United States:; A former settlement in Mendocino County, California; named for early settler Walter Anderson. countable, uncountable
  9. 14
    A placename; A locale in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Cass County, Illinois. countable, uncountable
  10. 15
    A placename; A locale in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Macoupin County, Illinois. countable, uncountable
  11. 16
    A placename; A locale in the United States:; A city, the county seat of Madison County, Indiana; named for Lenape Chief William Anderson. countable, uncountable
  12. 17
    A placename; A locale in the United States:; A city in McDonald County, Missouri; named for local merchant Robert Anderson. countable, uncountable
  13. 18
    A placename; A locale in the United States:; A census-designated place in Mansfield Township, Warren County, New Jersey. countable, uncountable
  14. 19
    A placename; A locale in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Ross County, Ohio. countable, uncountable
  15. 20
    A placename; A locale in the United States:; A city, the county seat of Anderson County, South Carolina; named for Revolutionary War officer Robert Anderson. countable, uncountable
  16. 21
    A placename; A locale in the United States:; A town, the county seat of Grimes County, Texas; named for Kenneth Lewis Anderson, 4th Vice President of the Republic of Texas. countable, uncountable
  17. 22
    A placename; A locale in the United States:; A town in Burnett County, Wisconsin. countable, uncountable
  18. 23
    A placename; A locale in the United States:; A town in Iron County, Wisconsin. countable, uncountable
  19. 24
    A placename; A locale in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Rock County, Wisconsin. countable, uncountable
  20. 25
    A placename; A locale in the United States:; A number of townships in the United States, listed under Anderson Township. countable, uncountable

Example

More examples

"Why don't you look in on Mr Anderson on your way back?"

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle English Ander (“Andrew”) + -son, after Saint Andrew, patron saint of Scotland. In the United States, sometimes an anglicization of Danish and Norwegian Andersen or Swedish Andersson.

Etymology 2

From earlier Anderston, from Middle English Andreuston, equivalent to Andrew + -s- + -ton.

Related phrases

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.