Total births
130,148
Boys' name · since 1880
Gilbert
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 130,148 babies named Gilbert, peaking in 1930. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #1387
- among boys today
- 130,148
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 90%
- more common than other boys
Gilbert currently ranks #1387 among boys' names in America, with 130,148 babies recorded since 1880.
Gilbert has 130,148 recorded births among boys since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #1387 as of the latest data, more common than 90% of boys, busiest in the 1950s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #1387 among boys today
- 130,148 born since 1880
- 1950s peak decade
- 90% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Gilbert is currently the #1387 boys' name in America, more common than 90% of boys - 130,148 born since 1880, peaking in the 1950s.
- #1387
- among boys today
- 130,148
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 90%
- more common than other boys
Gilbert vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#1387
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 90% of names given to boys today.
1950s
Peak decade
14% of everyone ever named Gilbert was born in this single decade.
1930
Single peak year
2,119 babies were named Gilbert in 1930 - its busiest year on record.
How Gilbert compares
130,148 Top 2% higher than 98% 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
Gilbert's all-time total is 355x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Gilbert | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 130,148 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 2,119 | 23 | 22,252 |
Gilbert's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Gilbert's SSA record in two at 1953 and the more recent half accounts for 43% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 57%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 1885, with only 77 births recorded -- set against the 1930 peak of 2,119, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Gilbert at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1930
Current rank
#1,387
Active since
1880
Gilbert popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1930)
- 2,119
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Gilbert popularity over time - girls
673 total births recorded since 1904 (Gilbert as girls' name)
Gilbert by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1950s was Gilbert's strongest decade.
18,852 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 14% of all-time use.
Gilbert births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 957
1880s
957 births
- 1890s 1,215
1890s
1,215 births
- 1900s 1,822
1900s
1,822 births
- 1910s
1910s
10,791 births
- 1920s
1920s
18,233 births
- 1930s
1930s
17,746 births
- 1940s
1940s
17,353 births
- 1950s
1950s
18,852 births
- 1960s
1960s
14,426 births
- 1970s
1970s
9,065 births
- 1980s
1980s
7,575 births
- 1990s 5,420
1990s
5,420 births
- 2000s 3,614
2000s
3,614 births
- 2010s 2,139
2010s
2,139 births
- 2020s 940
2020s
940 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 18,852 births (14% of all-time use).
How Gilbert 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 Gilbert's total volume
Gilbert vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Gilbert by state
Where Gilbert concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 20,686 | 15.9% |
| #2 | Texas | | 18,333 | 14.1% |
| #3 | New York | | 8,695 | 6.7% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 4,973 | 3.8% |
| #5 | Pennsylvania | | 4,955 | 3.8% |
| #6 | New Mexico | | 4,103 | 3.2% |
| #7 | Arizona | | 4,033 | 3.1% |
| #8 | Ohio | | 3,671 | 2.8% |
California share of Gilbert's total US births 15.9%
Even split
20,686 of 130,148 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Gilbert appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Gilbert? ▼
Gilbert has been given to 130,148 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #1387 as of the latest data. 2,119 babies were born in 1930, its single highest year.
When was Gilbert most popular? ▼
Gilbert was most popular in the 1950s decade with 18,852 total births. The single peak year was 1930.
Where is Gilbert most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Gilbert are California (20,686 births), Texas (18,333 births), New York (8,695 births).
How long has the name Gilbert been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Gilbert since 1880 -- 146 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Gilbert? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Gilberto, Gil, Giles, Gilford, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Gilbert's data
- Gilbert's decade-level peak was the 1950s (18,852 total births); usage has since declined to 940 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Gilberts (20,686 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 Gilbert
Nearby Names Like Gilbert
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Gilbert
Gilberto Boy
#1433 28,642 births
Gil Boy
#3998 4,971 births
Giles Boy
#5069 4,732 births
Gilford Boy
1,225 births
Gill Boy
1,218 births
Compare Gilbert side by side: Gilbert vs Gilberto Gilbert vs Gil Gilbert vs Giles
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Gilbert
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, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Gilbert: #1387 Boys' Name - 130,148 Births, Peak 1930." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/gilbert. 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 Gilbert 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.