Giles
Giles was given to 12 boys in 2025, #6,928 among boys’ names; 4,732 Americans have been recorded with it since 1880 (Social Security Administration, published May 2026).
An estimated 2,100 Americans named Giles and born in the U.S. are alive in 2026 (44% of everyone recorded); the median is 50 years old and half are between 28 and 69.
Girls and boys together; gaps are years SSA did not record (fewer than 5 births).
Births of Giles by year: SSA national baby-name file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
What does Giles mean?
Wiktionary, English section
Giles is “a male given name from Ancient Greek.” Its etymology gives the sense “kid, young goat” (αἰγίδιον).
Medieval English form of Old French saints' name Giles, modern Gilles, an altered form of Latin Aegīdius, from Ancient Greek Αἰγίδιος (Aigídios), derivative of αἰγίδιον (aigídion, “kid, young goat”).
/d͡ʒaɪlz/
Meaning: Wiktionary, English section, as of Sep 25, 2026 (CC BY‑SA 4.0).
How popular is Giles?
#6,928 among boys’ names, 2025
Giles fell from #4,773 in 2015 to #6,928 in 2025 among boys’ names; its share of boys born fell from 10.4 to 7.0 per million.
86 babies in 1918, the peak
Giles peaked in 1918, when 86 boys were given it, #671 among boys’ names. The 12 births of 2025 are 14% of that peak.
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 boys |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 12 | #6,928 | 0.01 |
| 2024 | 19 | #5,123 | 0.01 |
| 2023 | 11 | #7,433 | 0.01 |
| 2022 | 13 | #6,591 | 0.01 |
| 2021 | 16 | #5,618 | 0.01 |
| 2020 | 18 | #5,099 | 0.01 |
| 2019 | 29 | #3,745 | 0.02 |
| 2018 | 19 | #4,987 | 0.01 |
| 2017 | 15 | #5,891 | 0.01 |
| 2016 | 17 | #5,388 | 0.01 |
Every recorded year (145)
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 boys |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 20 | #4,773 | 0.01 |
| 2014 | 12 | #6,773 | 0.01 |
| 2013 | 20 | #4,679 | 0.01 |
| 2012 | 25 | #4,049 | 0.01 |
| 2011 | 20 | #4,716 | 0.01 |
| 2010 | 30 | #3,565 | 0.02 |
| 2009 | 20 | #4,813 | 0.01 |
| 2008 | 23 | #4,305 | 0.01 |
| 2007 | 26 | #3,930 | 0.01 |
| 2006 | 19 | #4,744 | 0.01 |
| 2005 | 28 | #3,472 | 0.01 |
| 2004 | 21 | #4,163 | 0.01 |
| 2003 | 22 | #3,876 | 0.01 |
| 2002 | 19 | #4,223 | 0.01 |
| 2001 | 17 | #4,552 | 0.01 |
| 2000 | 15 | #4,867 | 0.01 |
| 1999 | 18 | #4,046 | 0.01 |
| 1998 | 17 | #4,074 | 0.01 |
| 1997 | 24 | #3,088 | 0.01 |
| 1996 | 16 | #4,066 | 0.01 |
| 1995 | 28 | #2,637 | 0.01 |
| 1994 | 22 | #3,148 | 0.01 |
| 1993 | 29 | #2,528 | 0.01 |
| 1992 | 39 | #2,011 | 0.02 |
| 1991 | 31 | #2,305 | 0.02 |
| 1990 | 19 | #3,216 | 0.01 |
| 1989 | 26 | #2,499 | 0.01 |
| 1988 | 15 | #3,410 | 0.01 |
| 1987 | 25 | #2,289 | 0.01 |
| 1986 | 30 | #1,977 | 0.02 |
| 1985 | 26 | #2,143 | 0.01 |
| 1984 | 34 | #1,703 | 0.02 |
| 1983 | 24 | #2,166 | 0.01 |
| 1982 | 28 | #1,950 | 0.02 |
| 1981 | 24 | #2,154 | 0.01 |
| 1980 | 25 | #2,135 | 0.01 |
| 1979 | 25 | #2,067 | 0.01 |
| 1978 | 31 | #1,736 | 0.02 |
| 1977 | 22 | #2,150 | 0.01 |
| 1976 | 26 | #1,896 | 0.02 |
| 1975 | 28 | #1,761 | 0.02 |
| 1974 | 36 | #1,451 | 0.02 |
| 1973 | 20 | #2,074 | 0.01 |
| 1972 | 31 | #1,545 | 0.02 |
| 1971 | 29 | #1,647 | 0.02 |
| 1970 | 32 | #1,504 | 0.02 |
| 1969 | 30 | #1,479 | 0.02 |
| 1968 | 29 | #1,466 | 0.02 |
| 1967 | 29 | #1,422 | 0.02 |
| 1966 | 31 | #1,381 | 0.02 |
| 1965 | 23 | #1,638 | 0.01 |
| 1964 | 41 | #1,206 | 0.02 |
| 1963 | 35 | #1,329 | 0.02 |
| 1962 | 47 | #1,128 | 0.02 |
| 1961 | 30 | #1,476 | 0.01 |
| 1960 | 48 | #1,134 | 0.02 |
| 1959 | 37 | #1,282 | 0.02 |
| 1958 | 46 | #1,141 | 0.02 |
| 1957 | 52 | #1,055 | 0.02 |
| 1956 | 51 | #1,057 | 0.02 |
| 1955 | 62 | #953 | 0.03 |
| 1954 | 58 | #980 | 0.03 |
| 1953 | 44 | #1,112 | 0.02 |
| 1952 | 43 | #1,123 | 0.02 |
| 1951 | 50 | #997 | 0.03 |
| 1950 | 47 | #1,029 | 0.03 |
| 1949 | 38 | #1,152 | 0.02 |
| 1948 | 50 | #993 | 0.03 |
| 1947 | 54 | #970 | 0.03 |
| 1946 | 31 | #1,269 | 0.02 |
| 1945 | 43 | #978 | 0.03 |
| 1944 | 54 | #863 | 0.04 |
| 1943 | 51 | #934 | 0.04 |
| 1942 | 49 | #950 | 0.04 |
| 1941 | 62 | #802 | 0.05 |
| 1940 | 44 | #973 | 0.04 |
| 1939 | 47 | #907 | 0.04 |
| 1938 | 61 | #788 | 0.05 |
| 1937 | 41 | #995 | 0.04 |
| 1936 | 52 | #847 | 0.05 |
| 1935 | 59 | #806 | 0.06 |
| 1934 | 60 | #801 | 0.06 |
| 1933 | 69 | #737 | 0.07 |
| 1932 | 77 | #705 | 0.07 |
| 1931 | 66 | #771 | 0.06 |
| 1930 | 63 | #819 | 0.06 |
| 1929 | 69 | #773 | 0.06 |
| 1928 | 80 | #710 | 0.07 |
| 1927 | 70 | #791 | 0.06 |
| 1926 | 60 | #862 | 0.05 |
| 1925 | 78 | #741 | 0.07 |
| 1924 | 63 | #866 | 0.06 |
| 1923 | 64 | #849 | 0.06 |
| 1922 | 80 | #738 | 0.07 |
| 1921 | 52 | #977 | 0.05 |
| 1920 | 69 | #807 | 0.06 |
| 1919 | 66 | #804 | 0.07 |
| 1918 | 86 | #671 | 0.08 |
| 1917 | 73 | #718 | 0.08 |
| 1916 | 54 | #859 | 0.06 |
| 1915 | 65 | #744 | 0.08 |
| 1914 | 56 | #681 | 0.09 |
| 1913 | 45 | #673 | 0.09 |
| 1912 | 32 | #772 | 0.07 |
| 1911 | 18 | #772 | 0.08 |
| 1910 | 13 | #893 | 0.07 |
| 1909 | 9 | #1,047 | 0.05 |
| 1908 | 14 | #723 | 0.09 |
| 1907 | 7 | #1,138 | 0.05 |
| 1906 | 7 | #1,055 | 0.05 |
| 1905 | 9 | #865 | 0.07 |
| 1904 | 15 | #596 | 0.12 |
| 1903 | 7 | #951 | 0.06 |
| 1902 | 9 | #817 | 0.07 |
| 1901 | 11 | #655 | 0.10 |
| 1900 | 15 | #656 | 0.10 |
| 1899 | 17 | #464 | 0.16 |
| 1898 | 6 | #1,055 | 0.05 |
| 1897 | 13 | #593 | 0.12 |
| 1896 | 8 | #849 | 0.07 |
| 1895 | 8 | #824 | 0.07 |
| 1893 | 17 | #455 | 0.15 |
| 1892 | 7 | #892 | 0.06 |
| 1891 | 6 | #891 | 0.06 |
| 1890 | 11 | #614 | 0.10 |
| 1889 | 12 | #563 | 0.11 |
| 1888 | 20 | #421 | 0.17 |
| 1887 | 11 | #562 | 0.11 |
| 1886 | 13 | #524 | 0.12 |
| 1885 | 15 | #488 | 0.14 |
| 1884 | 14 | #512 | 0.12 |
| 1883 | 17 | #438 | 0.16 |
| 1882 | 12 | #558 | 0.11 |
| 1881 | 21 | #367 | 0.21 |
| 1880 | 18 | #409 | 0.16 |
Ranks and shares: boys’ names in each year’s SSA file; share of all boys SSA recorded that year.
Is Giles a boy’s or a girl’s name?
Giles has been recorded only for boys: SSA lists no girls with the name in 145 years of records (it lists a name only in years with 5 or more babies of a sex).
Girls and boys named Giles: the SSA national file counts each sex separately.
How many people are named Giles, and how old are they?
2,100 alive in 2026, estimated
That is 44% of the 4,732 Americans ever recorded as Giles. The median Giles alive today is 50 years old; half are between 28 and 69.
The 2020 Census counted 2,406 people named Giles (25 women and girls, 2,381 men and boys). SSA’s births carried forward to Census day, April 1, 2020, predict 2,289 born in the U.S. The Census count is 5% above that prediction.
Alive today, by age
Alive today, by generation
| Generation | Born | Alive |
|---|---|---|
| Silent Generation | 1928-1945 | 183 |
| Baby Boomers | 1946-1964 | 568 |
| Generation X | 1965-1980 | 394 |
| Millennials | 1981-1996 | 395 |
| Generation Z | 1997-2012 | 338 |
| Generation Alpha | 2013-2025 | 219 |
An estimate, not a count. SSA’s files count people born in the United States who received a Social Security number, so anyone born abroad is not in them; before 1937 most people got a number as adults, and their survival is counted from that age.
Living estimate: SSA births carried forward with the survival rates in SSA’s cohort life tables (2024 Trustees Report) for each birth year and sex. How the estimate is made. Count: Census Bureau, first names in the 2020 Census (released April 14, 2026; names reported 100 or more times, with the Bureau’s disclosure-avoidance adjustment).
Where are babies named Giles born?
The states with the most babies named Giles are Virginia, Texas and North Carolina, with 68% of its births recorded by state since 1910; Virginia is not among the ten states with the most births.
| State | Since 1910 | Rank, boys | vs. national |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia | 300 | not ranked | 2.9× |
| Texas | 138 | not ranked | 0.5× |
| North Carolina | 133 | not ranked | 1.0× |
| New York | 64 | not ranked | 0.2× |
| Illinois | 41 | not ranked | 0.2× |
| Wisconsin | 30 | not ranked | 0.3× |
| California | 26 | not ranked | 0.1× |
| Ohio | 26 | not ranked | 0.1× |
| Mississippi | 20 | not ranked | 0.3× |
| Tennessee | 15 | not ranked | 0.1× |
Where Giles is more common than its national share predicts
Relative to its national share, Giles is most over-represented in Virginia: since 1910 it was given 2.9 times as often there as its national share each year would predict.
States: SSA state file, 1910-2025, published May 8, 2026; births count girls and boys together, and the rank is among boys’ names in the state in 2025. The file leaves out any state and year with fewer than 5 babies of the name, so small states are undercounted; each ratio compares the state’s births of Giles with the births its national share predicts year by year, for states with at least 100 births of the name.
Names spelled alike
Of these 3 names spelled alike, given to 5,803 babies since 1880, Giles is the most given (82% of them).
Spelled alike: names in the SSA national file with the same pattern of letters and sounds and at most two letters apart, and Wiktionary’s listed forms; births since 1880 and in 2025, and each name’s peak year, from the SSA national file, published May 8, 2026. Some are separate names, not spellings of one.
Names that rose and fell in the same decades as Giles
Names whose births rose and fell across the same decades, measured on each decade’s share of births.
Similar histories: each decade’s share of births, from the SSA national file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
More about Giles and names like it
- Compare Giles and GillisBirths, ranks, peak and the living estimate side by side.
- The most given names of the 1910sGiles peaked in 1918.
- Virginia’s most given namesThe state where SSA recorded the most babies named Giles since 1910.
- Ancient Greek namesWiktionary’s origin for Giles: every such name, by how often it is given.
- The top names of 1918The year the most babies were named Giles.
- The names of the Baby BoomersMost people named Giles alive today were born 1946-1964.
- Names starting with GMost given first.