Gordon
Gordon was given to 209 boys in 2025, #1,052 among boys’ names; 155,579 Americans have been recorded with it since 1880 (Social Security Administration, published May 2026).
An estimated 63,400 Americans named Gordon and born in the U.S. are alive in 2026 (41% of everyone recorded); the median is 66 years old and half are between 50 and 75.
Girls and boys together; gaps are years SSA did not record (fewer than 5 births).
Births of Gordon by year: SSA national baby-name file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
What does Gordon mean?
Wiktionary, English section
Gordon is “a male given name transferred from the surname.”
The main etymology, associated with Celtic names, is from the Scots surname Gordon, from a place name, but the origin is debated:
If the English or Scots name is from a Brythonic language (such as Old Welsh or Old Breton), then possibly from a Proto-Brythonic compound such as *gor (“spacious”) + *din (“fort”);
If the Scots name is itself from English, then possibly from French Gourdon, derived from Gallo-Roman Latin Gordus, from Gaulish *Gordos;
Otherwise, possibly ultimately from Old English *gor-dūn (“mud hill”) whence a habitational name.
/ˈɡɔrdn̩/
Meaning: Wiktionary, English section, as of Sep 25, 2026 (CC BY‑SA 4.0).
How popular is Gordon?
#1,052 among boys’ names, 2025
Gordon fell from #812 in 2015 to #1,052 in 2025 among boys’ names; its share of boys born fell from 0.15 to 0.12 per 1,000.
2,835 babies in 1952, the peak
Gordon peaked in 1952, when 2,835 babies were given it (2,829 boys, #110 among boys’ names). The 209 births of 2025 are 7% of that peak.
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 boys |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 209 | #1,052 | 0.12 |
| 2024 | 200 | #1,087 | 0.12 |
| 2023 | 223 | #987 | 0.13 |
| 2022 | 233 | #971 | 0.13 |
| 2021 | 243 | #929 | 0.14 |
| 2020 | 225 | #965 | 0.13 |
| 2019 | 267 | #842 | 0.15 |
| 2018 | 271 | #825 | 0.15 |
| 2017 | 275 | #818 | 0.15 |
| 2016 | 220 | #948 | 0.12 |
Every recorded year (146)
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 boys |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 279 | #812 | 0.15 |
| 2014 | 224 | #941 | 0.12 |
| 2013 | 189 | #1,029 | 0.10 |
| 2012 | 195 | #1,014 | 0.10 |
| 2011 | 183 | #1,037 | 0.10 |
| 2010 | 180 | #1,076 | 0.09 |
| 2009 | 183 | #1,043 | 0.09 |
| 2008 | 212 | #950 | 0.10 |
| 2007 | 196 | #995 | 0.09 |
| 2006 | 215 | #905 | 0.10 |
| 2005 | 208 | #877 | 0.10 |
| 2004 | 246 | #753 | 0.12 |
| 2003 | 235 | #756 | 0.12 |
| 2002 | 275 | #673 | 0.14 |
| 2001 | 249 | #708 | 0.13 |
| 2000 | 285 | #641 | 0.15 |
| 1999 | 265 | #651 | 0.14 |
| 1998 | 276 | #641 | 0.14 |
| 1997 | 289 | #611 | 0.15 |
| 1996 | 343 | #547 | 0.18 |
| 1995 | 353 | #541 | 0.19 |
| 1994 | 347 | #550 | 0.18 |
| 1993 | 404 | #511 | 0.21 |
| 1992 | 400 | #504 | 0.20 |
| 1991 | 414 | #487 | 0.20 |
| 1990 | 441 | #470 | 0.21 |
| 1989 | 476 | #432 | 0.24 |
| 1988 | 464 | #418 | 0.24 |
| 1987 | 493 | #389 | 0.26 |
| 1986 | 517 | #362 | 0.28 |
| 1985 | 488 | #374 | 0.26 |
| 1984 | 505 | #360 | 0.28 |
| 1983 | 497 | #357 | 0.28 |
| 1982 | 538 | #345 | 0.30 |
| 1981 | 521 | #345 | 0.29 |
| 1980 | 531 | #345 | 0.30 |
| 1979 | 503 | #349 | 0.29 |
| 1978 | 515 | #341 | 0.31 |
| 1977 | 549 | #332 | 0.33 |
| 1976 | 517 | #334 | 0.33 |
| 1975 | 585 | #310 | 0.37 |
| 1974 | 631 | #294 | 0.40 |
| 1973 | 659 | #277 | 0.42 |
| 1972 | 719 | #269 | 0.44 |
| 1971 | 915 | #247 | 0.52 |
| 1970 | 990 | #238 | 0.53 |
| 1969 | 1,012 | #226 | 0.57 |
| 1968 | 1,093 | #213 | 0.63 |
| 1967 | 1,115 | #207 | 0.64 |
| 1966 | 1,386 | #181 | 0.78 |
| 1965 | 1,444 | #178 | 0.78 |
| 1964 | 1,772 | #167 | 0.89 |
| 1963 | 2,080 | #159 | 1.0 |
| 1962 | 1,787 | #173 | 0.86 |
| 1961 | 1,994 | #165 | 0.94 |
| 1960 | 2,149 | #159 | 1.0 |
| 1959 | 2,212 | #155 | 1.0 |
| 1958 | 2,225 | #152 | 1.0 |
| 1957 | 2,464 | #140 | 1.1 |
| 1956 | 2,484 | #130 | 1.2 |
| 1955 | 2,557 | #128 | 1.2 |
| 1954 | 2,741 | #122 | 1.3 |
| 1953 | 2,781 | #116 | 1.4 |
| 1952 | 2,829 | #110 | 1.5 |
| 1951 | 2,759 | #108 | 1.5 |
| 1950 | 2,689 | #108 | 1.5 |
| 1949 | 2,546 | #113 | 1.4 |
| 1948 | 2,510 | #112 | 1.4 |
| 1947 | 2,671 | #111 | 1.5 |
| 1946 | 2,410 | #111 | 1.5 |
| 1945 | 2,146 | #109 | 1.6 |
| 1944 | 2,271 | #105 | 1.7 |
| 1943 | 2,608 | #98 | 1.8 |
| 1942 | 2,606 | #92 | 1.9 |
| 1941 | 2,404 | #92 | 2.0 |
| 1940 | 2,296 | #91 | 2.0 |
| 1939 | 2,508 | #82 | 2.3 |
| 1938 | 2,657 | #78 | 2.4 |
| 1937 | 2,533 | #75 | 2.4 |
| 1936 | 2,567 | #75 | 2.5 |
| 1935 | 2,615 | #70 | 2.5 |
| 1934 | 2,639 | #71 | 2.6 |
| 1933 | 2,524 | #71 | 2.5 |
| 1932 | 2,410 | #81 | 2.3 |
| 1931 | 2,396 | #76 | 2.3 |
| 1930 | 2,611 | #77 | 2.4 |
| 1929 | 2,493 | #79 | 2.3 |
| 1928 | 2,596 | #77 | 2.3 |
| 1927 | 2,680 | #74 | 2.4 |
| 1926 | 2,629 | #76 | 2.4 |
| 1925 | 2,748 | #72 | 2.5 |
| 1924 | 2,714 | #75 | 2.4 |
| 1923 | 2,576 | #76 | 2.4 |
| 1922 | 2,527 | #76 | 2.3 |
| 1921 | 2,382 | #84 | 2.2 |
| 1920 | 2,277 | #85 | 2.1 |
| 1919 | 2,017 | #86 | 2.1 |
| 1918 | 2,233 | #85 | 2.2 |
| 1917 | 2,019 | #84 | 2.2 |
| 1916 | 1,792 | #90 | 2.0 |
| 1915 | 1,717 | #90 | 2.0 |
| 1914 | 1,355 | #88 | 2.1 |
| 1913 | 1,017 | #94 | 2.0 |
| 1912 | 822 | #93 | 1.9 |
| 1911 | 404 | #97 | 1.8 |
| 1910 | 265 | #120 | 1.4 |
| 1909 | 230 | #121 | 1.4 |
| 1908 | 196 | #129 | 1.3 |
| 1907 | 199 | #120 | 1.4 |
| 1906 | 184 | #115 | 1.4 |
| 1905 | 165 | #134 | 1.2 |
| 1904 | 177 | #119 | 1.4 |
| 1903 | 142 | #131 | 1.2 |
| 1902 | 109 | #161 | 0.89 |
| 1901 | 103 | #153 | 1.0 |
| 1900 | 137 | #152 | 0.91 |
| 1899 | 107 | #146 | 1.0 |
| 1898 | 110 | #155 | 0.90 |
| 1897 | 89 | #173 | 0.79 |
| 1896 | 117 | #143 | 1.0 |
| 1895 | 104 | #148 | 0.89 |
| 1894 | 112 | #139 | 1.0 |
| 1893 | 83 | #173 | 0.74 |
| 1892 | 83 | #189 | 0.68 |
| 1891 | 71 | #181 | 0.70 |
| 1890 | 63 | #208 | 0.57 |
| 1889 | 60 | #213 | 0.54 |
| 1888 | 83 | #177 | 0.69 |
| 1887 | 47 | #234 | 0.46 |
| 1886 | 64 | #209 | 0.58 |
| 1885 | 48 | #237 | 0.45 |
| 1884 | 39 | #273 | 0.34 |
| 1883 | 38 | #268 | 0.36 |
| 1882 | 37 | #284 | 0.33 |
| 1881 | 32 | #280 | 0.32 |
| 1880 | 51 | #233 | 0.46 |
Ranks and shares: boys’ names in each year’s SSA file; share of all boys SSA recorded that year.
Is Gordon a boy’s or a girl’s name?
Gordon has been given almost only to boys: 670 girls in 146 years of records.
Girls and boys named Gordon: the SSA national file counts each sex separately.
How many people are named Gordon, and how old are they?
63,400 alive in 2026, estimated
That is 41% of the 155,579 Americans ever recorded as Gordon. The median Gordon alive today is 66 years old; half are between 50 and 75.
The 2020 Census counted 78,487 people named Gordon (153 women and girls, 78,334 men and boys). SSA’s births carried forward to Census day, April 1, 2020, predict 74,570 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 | 8,560 |
| Baby Boomers | 1946-1964 | 29,800 |
| Generation X | 1965-1980 | 11,500 |
| Millennials | 1981-1996 | 6,850 |
| Generation Z | 1997-2012 | 3,630 |
| Generation Alpha | 2013-2025 | 3,040 |
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 Gordon born?
The states with the most babies named Gordon are New York, Michigan and California, with 23% of its births recorded by state since 1910.
| State | Since 1910 | Rank, boys | vs. national |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 12,170 | #727 | 0.9× |
| Michigan | 11,571 | #582 | 1.8× |
| California | 10,954 | #1,532 | 1.1× |
| Minnesota | 7,389 | #431 | 2.2× |
| Illinois | 7,021 | #966 | 0.8× |
| Wisconsin | 6,916 | #648 | 1.9× |
| Pennsylvania | 6,586 | #724 | 0.6× |
| Ohio | 5,800 | #823 | 0.7× |
| Texas | 5,488 | #1,804 | 0.6× |
| Massachusetts | 4,896 | #647 | 1.0× |
Where Gordon is more common than its national share predicts
Relative to its national share, Gordon is most over-represented in North Dakota: since 1910 it was given 2.5 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 Gordon 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 158,653 babies since 1880, Gordon is the most given (98% of them). In 2025 it was given to 209 of their 209 babies (100%), again the most given.
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 Gordon
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 Gordon and names like it
- Compare Gordon and GordenBirths, ranks, peak and the living estimate side by side.
- The most given names of the 1950sGordon peaked in 1952.
- New York’s most given namesThe state where SSA recorded the most babies named Gordon since 1910.
- From surnamesWiktionary’s origin for Gordon: every such name, by how often it is given.
- The top names of 1952The year the most babies were named Gordon.
- The names of the Baby BoomersMost people named Gordon alive today were born 1946-1964.
- Names starting with GMost given first.