Baby Name of the Day: Anselm

The baby name Anselm blends old school appeal with a buttoned-up style that might just work today. 

Thanks to Shannon for suggesting our Baby Name of the Day.

WHAT DOES THE NAME ANSELM MEAN?

The baby name Anselm comes from two Germanic elements: ansi, meaning god; and helm, meaning protection – or literally, a helmet. 

So Anselm was a protector of the divine, or protected by such powers. Possibly both. 

Despite the Germanic origin, the first famous Anselm came from Italy.

Sort of. 

SAINT ANSELM

The future Saint Anselm of Canterbury was born in what we now call northern Italy. Back then? It was the medieval Kingdom of Burgundy. Upper Burgundy, to be exact, probably around the year 1033. 

Plenty of places outside of what we now consider Germany spoke Germanic languages, or languages with plenty of Germanic elements. The Aosta valley, Anselm’s birthplace, bordered by modern-day Switzerland and France, is one of those places.

He was a Lombard by birth, born into a noble, land-owning family belonging to a German culture that had ruled in the region for generations. The Lombardy region of Italy retains the name today.

Anselm’s father resisted his son’s desire for a career in the church. 

But Anselm persisted and prevailed. He moved to England, eventually becoming the archbishop of Canterbury in 1093. A philosopher and Doctor of the Church, Anselm expanded Christian thinking. He originated ontological arguments for the existence of God, the first of which was once known as Anselm’s argument. 

Anselm also pioneered scholasticism, a medieval approach to thinking and reasoning that held sway for centuries. 

In academic circles, this name might signal a very specific worldview and set of interests. 

FAMOUS HISTORICAL FIGURES

Plenty of other figures wore the name during the medieval era, meaning of them pre-dating the philosopher and cementing an enduring legacy for the name.

Notable figures include:

• Saint Anselm was the Duke of Friuli in the 700s, but walked away from it all to live the life monastic.
• A ninth century abbot of Farfa wore the name.
• In the eleventh century, Anselm of Lucca was a bishop and politician.
• During the early 1100s, an archbishop of Milan wore the name. He led the Lombards on Crusade, and died of battle wounds. That’s the second saintly Anselm from the Lombards

VARIATIONS ON ANSELM

Thanks to the fame of the saint, formal variants of the name exist in several European languages. 

The best known include the romance language Anselmo, as well as nicknames Zelmo and Elmo. Other nicknames of Anselm might include Anse or Ansie. 

Worth noting: nothing indicates that Sesame Street’s Elmo is, in any way, named Anselm. Though perhaps he’s a furry red philosopher so there’s that.

Cervantes’ Don Quixote included a Florentine nobleman named Anselmo. French masculine name Anselme is another form. 

While the first name became a relative rarity as the medieval era waned, surname version Ansel remained in use. It probably came from breaking the Latinized form Anselmus in the wrong place.

Two more ways that Ansel came into use:

• The many forms of John include Hansel, just one quick sidestep from Ansel.
• For generations, Jewish families considered Ansel an equivalent of the Hebrew Asher. While this is oft-repeated, the connection is a little fuzzy. One possible reason: adding an -el was a common way to form a diminutive, like Hansel. It seems possible that Asher became Ashel and then became associated with Ansel – but that’s just a guess. 

ANSEL ADAMS

American photographer Ansel Adams keeps Ansel familiar.

Named for his uncle, Adams was born in San Francisco in the year 1902.

Famed for his black-and-white images of the American West, Adams, as well as for his environmental advocacy, Adams defined how we see the United States. Landmarks bear his name, too, chiefly California’s Ansel Adams Wilderness.

His contributions to the natural world, as well as the practice of photography, were deeply significant.

HOW POPULAR IS THE NAME ANSELM?

In English-speaking countries, the baby name Anselm is quite rare today.

As of 2024, just seven boys were named Anselm in the United States. Peak usage was 12 boys in 2016. 

It’s equally rare in the United Kingdom, despite the saint’s roots in Canterbury. 

On the other hand, 152 boys were named Ansel in 2024, so perhaps Adams’ influence makes this the more promising version of the name.

THOUGHTFUL RARITY

The baby name Anselm sounds scholarly. Detail-oriented. Serious. 

While it’s seldom heard in recent years, it remains generally familiar as a given name. That might make this a compelling choice. 

It’s like Simon with the volume turned up. British(ish), possibly. A brother for Cecil or Percy. 

The baby name Anselm isn’t likely to catch on any time soon, but if the name’s intelligent and long history appeal, it could be a smart choice for a son.

What do you think of the baby name Anselm?

First published on February 5, 2013, this post was revised on March 20, 2026.