Total births
189,270
Boys' name · since 1913
Gavin
189,270 babies named Gavin in U.S. Social Security records since 1913, with the highest year being 2007. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #255
- among boys today
- 189,270
- born since 1913
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 98%
- more common than other boys
189,270 babies have been named Gavin since 1913, making it today's #255 boys' name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Gavin has been recorded 189,270 times among boys since 1913, currently ranked #255 nationally and more common than 98% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 2000s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1913 to 2025.
- #255 among boys today
- 189,270 born since 1913
- 2000s peak decade
- 98% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Gavin is currently the #255 boys' name in America, more common than 98% of boys - 189,270 born since 1913, peaking in the 2000s.
- #255
- among boys today
- 189,270
- born since 1913
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 98%
- more common than other boys
Gavin vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#255
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 98% of names given to boys today.
2000s
Peak decade
47% of everyone ever named Gavin was born in this single decade.
2007
Single peak year
11,863 babies were named Gavin in 2007 - its busiest year on record.
How Gavin compares
189,270 Top 1% higher than 99% 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
Gavin's all-time total is 516x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Gavin | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 189,270 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 11,863 | 23 | 22,252 |
Gavin's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Gavin's SSA record in two at 1970 and the more recent half accounts for 99% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 1%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1913, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 2007 peak of 11,863, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Gavin at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
2007
Current rank
#255
Active since
1913
Gavin popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1913–2025
- Peak year (2007)
- 11,863
- Annual births at peak, across 113 years of records
Gavin popularity over time - girls
395 total births recorded since 1977 (Gavin as girls' name)
Gavin by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2000s was Gavin's strongest decade.
88,447 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 47% of all-time use.
Gavin births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 49
1910s
49 births
- 1920s 124
1920s
124 births
- 1930s 113
1930s
113 births
- 1940s 177
1940s
177 births
- 1950s 504
1950s
504 births
- 1960s 1,571
1960s
1,571 births
- 1970s 2,665
1970s
2,665 births
- 1980s 5,382
1980s
5,382 births
- 1990s 17,280
1990s
17,280 births
- 2000s
2000s
88,447 births
- 2010s
2010s
62,331 births
- 2020s 10,627
2020s
10,627 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 88,447 births (47% of all-time use).
How Gavin 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 Gavin's total volume
Gavin vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Gavin by state
Where Gavin concentrates geographically, total births since 1913
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 17,786 | 9.4% |
| #2 | Texas | | 12,668 | 6.7% |
| #3 | New York | | 9,714 | 5.1% |
| #4 | Pennsylvania | | 9,486 | 5.0% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 9,300 | 4.9% |
| #6 | Florida | | 8,838 | 4.7% |
| #7 | Illinois | | 7,404 | 3.9% |
| #8 | Michigan | | 7,346 | 3.9% |
California share of Gavin's total US births 9.4%
Even split
17,786 of 189,270 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Gavin appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Gavin? ▼
189,270 babies have been named Gavin since 1913. It currently ranks #255 among boys. The peak year was 2007 with 11,863 births.
When was Gavin most popular? ▼
Gavin was most popular in the 2000s decade with 88,447 total births. The single peak year was 2007.
Where is Gavin most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Gavin are California (17,786 births), Texas (12,668 births), New York (9,714 births).
How long has the name Gavin been used? ▼
Gavin has been recorded in Social Security data since 1913, spanning 113 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Gavin? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Gavyn, Gaven, Gavriel, Gavino, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Gavin's data
- Gavin's decade-level peak was the 2000s (88,447 total births); usage has since declined to 10,627 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Gavins (17,786 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California 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 Gavin
Nearby Names Like Gavin
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Gavin
Gavyn Boy
#4784 5,219 births
Gaven Boy
#8477 3,839 births
Gavriel Boy
#1715 2,054 births
Gavino Boy
#6506 1,782 births
Gavan Boy
#12653 987 births
Compare Gavin side by side: Gavin vs Gavyn Gavin vs Gaven Gavin vs Gavriel
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Gavin
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, 1913–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Gavin: #255 Boys' Name - 189,270 Births, Peak 2007." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/gavin. 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 Gavin 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.