Total births
987
Boys' name · since 1970
Gavan
987 babies named Gavan in U.S. Social Security records since 1970, with the highest year being 2003. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #12653
- among boys today
- 987
- born since 1970
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 11%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Gavan is the #12653 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 987 recorded since 1970.
Social Security Administration records show Gavan recorded 987 times among boys since 1970, holding rank #12653 nationally today, ahead of 11% of boys, peaking in the 2000s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1970 to 2025.
- #12653 among boys today
- 987 born since 1970
- 2000s peak decade
- 11% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Gavan is currently the #12653 boys' name in America, more common than 11% of boys - 987 born since 1970, peaking in the 2000s.
- #12653
- among boys today
- 987
- born since 1970
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 11%
- more common than other boys
Gavan vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#12653
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 11% of names given to boys today.
2000s
Peak decade
56% of everyone ever named Gavan was born in this single decade.
2003
Single peak year
80 babies were named Gavan in 2003 - its busiest year on record.
How Gavan compares
987 Top 31% higher than 69% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Gavan's all-time total is 169% above the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Gavan | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 987 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 80 | 23 | 22,252 |
Gavan's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Gavan's full recorded timeline at 2002, 68% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 32% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1970, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2003 peak of 80 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Gavan at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2003
Current rank
#12,653
Active since
1970
Gavan popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1970–2025
- Peak year (2003)
- 80
- Annual births at peak, across 56 years of records
Gavan by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2000s was Gavan's strongest decade.
553 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 56% of all-time use.
Gavan births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1970s 10
1970s
10 births
- 1980s 45
1980s
45 births
- 1990s 175
1990s
175 births
- 2000s
2000s
553 births
- 2010s 182
2010s
182 births
- 2020s 22
2020s
22 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 553 births (56% of all-time use).
How Gavan compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Gavan's total volume
Gavan vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Gavan by state
Where Gavan concentrates geographically, total births since 1970
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 59 | 6.0% |
| #2 | California | | 45 | 4.6% |
| #3 | Florida | | 13 | 1.3% |
| #4 | Ohio | | 7 | 0.7% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 6 | 0.6% |
| #6 | Michigan | | 6 | 0.6% |
| #7 | Pennsylvania | | 6 | 0.6% |
| #8 | Arizona | | 5 | 0.5% |
Texas share of Gavan's total US births 6.0%
Even split
59 of 987 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 11 reporting states.
Gavan appears in 11 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Gavan? ▼
Since 1970, Social Security records show 987 babies named Gavan. Today it holds rank #12653 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 2003, with 80 births.
When was Gavan most popular? ▼
Gavan was most popular in the 2000s decade with 553 total births. The single peak year was 2003.
Where is Gavan most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Gavan are Texas (59 births), California (45 births), Florida (13 births).
How long has the name Gavan been used? ▼
Gavan has been recorded in Social Security data since 1970, spanning 56 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Gavan? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Gavin, Gavyn, Gaven, Gavriel, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Gavan's data
- Gavan's decade-level peak was the 2000s (553 total births); usage has since declined to 22 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Gavans (59 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Gavan
Nearby Names Like Gavan
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Gavan
Gavin Boy
#255 189,270 births
Gavyn Boy
#4784 5,219 births
Gaven Boy
#8477 3,839 births
Gavriel Boy
#1715 2,054 births
Gavino Boy
#6506 1,782 births
Compare Gavan side by side: Gavan vs Gavin Gavan vs Gavyn Gavan vs Gaven
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Gavan
Django #12652
297 births · Peak 2011
Vishal #12654
1,734 births · Peak 2003
Deshone #12651
288 births · Peak 1994
Yoav #12655
411 births · Peak 2008
Trebor #12650
504 births · Peak 1994
Vinay #12656
1,139 births · Peak 2003
Marcelus #12649
307 births · Peak 1996
Teron #12657
1,007 births · Peak 1994
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1970–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Gavan: #12653 Boys' Name - 987 Births, Peak 2003." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/gavan. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Gavan draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.