Total births
747
Boys' name · since 1880
Gustaf
747 babies named Gustaf in U.S. Social Security records since 1880, with the highest year being 1917. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- 747
- total births
- 1880–2023
- years on record
- 1910s
- peak decade
- 20%
- born in that decade
Gustaf sits outside today's top ranks for boys, with 747 recorded since 1880.
Gustaf has 747 recorded births among boys since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used boys names, busiest in the 1910s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2023.
- 747 total births
- 1880–2023 years on record
- 1910s peak decade
- 20% born in that decade
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
747 boys have been named Gustaf since 1880, peaking in the 1910s, last recorded in 2023.
- 747
- total births
- 1880–2023
- years on record
- 1910s
- peak decade
- 20%
- born in that decade
1910s
Peak decade
20% of everyone ever named Gustaf was born in this single decade.
1917
Single peak year
25 babies were named Gustaf in 1917 - its busiest year on record.
Gustaf's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Gustaf splits its recorded history at 1930: 39% of all births land in the more recent half, 61% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 1881 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1917 peak of 25 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Gustaf at a glance
Last recorded 2023Peak year
1917
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1880
Gustaf popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2023
- Peak year (1917)
- 25
- Annual births at peak, across 144 years of records
Gustaf by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1910s was Gustaf's strongest decade.
149 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 20% of all-time use.
Gustaf births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s
1880s
66 births
- 1890s
1890s
66 births
- 1900s 55
1900s
55 births
- 1910s
1910s
149 births
- 1920s
1920s
116 births
- 1930s 35
1930s
35 births
- 1940s 6
1940s
6 births
- 1950s 33
1950s
33 births
- 1960s 10
1960s
10 births
- 1970s 12
1970s
12 births
- 1980s 32
1980s
32 births
- 1990s 43
1990s
43 births
- 2000s
2000s
61 births
- 2010s 50
2010s
50 births
- 2020s 13
2020s
13 births
What this shows Peak: 1910s at 149 births (20% of all-time use).
How Gustaf 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 Gustaf's total volume
Gustaf vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Gustaf by state
Where Gustaf concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Massachusetts | | 14 | 1.9% |
| #2 | Minnesota | | 6 | 0.8% |
| #3 | Illinois | | 5 | 0.7% |
| #4 | New York | | 5 | 0.7% |
| #5 | Pennsylvania | | 5 | 0.7% |
Massachusetts share of Gustaf's total US births 1.9%
Even split
14 of 747 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 5 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Gustaf? ▼
747 babies have been named Gustaf since 1880. It was last recorded in 2023. The peak year was 1917 with 25 births.
When was Gustaf most popular? ▼
Gustaf was most popular in the 1910s decade with 149 total births. The single peak year was 1917.
Where is Gustaf most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Gustaf are Massachusetts (14 births), Minnesota (6 births), Illinois (5 births).
How long has the name Gustaf been used? ▼
Records for Gustaf go back to 1880, giving 144 years of history through 2023.
What names are similar to Gustaf? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Gustavo, Gus, Gustave, Gustav, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Gustaf's data
- Gustaf's decade-level peak was the 1910s (149 total births); usage has since declined to 13 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Massachusetts records the most Gustafs (14 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Massachusetts 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 Gustaf
Nearby Names Like Gustaf
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Gustaf
Gustavo Boy
#640 40,357 births
Gus Boy
#1211 20,119 births
Gustave Boy
#6199 5,430 births
Gustav Boy
#3336 4,267 births
Gust Boy
1,871 births
Compare Gustaf side by side: Gustaf vs Gustavo Gustaf vs Gus Gustaf vs Gustave
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
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, 1880–2023 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Gustaf: Baby Name Since 1880 - 747 Births, Peak 1917." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/gustaf. 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 Gustaf 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.