Total births
4,267
Boys' name · since 1880
Gustav
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 4,267 babies named Gustav, peaking in 1917. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #3336
- among boys today
- 4,267
- born since 1880
- 1910s
- peak decade
- 77%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Gustav is the #3336 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 4,267 recorded since 1880.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Gustav has been recorded 4,267 times among boys since 1880, currently ranked #3336 nationally and more common than 77% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 1910s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #3336 among boys today
- 4,267 born since 1880
- 1910s peak decade
- 77% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Gustav is currently the #3336 boys' name in America, more common than 77% of boys - 4,267 born since 1880, peaking in the 1910s.
- #3336
- among boys today
- 4,267
- born since 1880
- 1910s
- peak decade
- 77%
- more common than other boys
Gustav vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#3336
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 77% of names given to boys today.
1910s
Peak decade
17% of everyone ever named Gustav was born in this single decade.
1917
Single peak year
99 babies were named Gustav in 1917 - its busiest year on record.
How Gustav compares
4,267 Top 13% higher than 87% 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
Gustav's all-time total is 12x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Gustav | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 4,267 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 99 | 23 | 22,252 |
Gustav's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Gustav's full recorded timeline at 1953, 37% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 63% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1955, with just 8 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1917 peak of 99 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Gustav at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1917
Current rank
#3,336
Active since
1880
Gustav popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1917)
- 99
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Gustav by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1910s was Gustav's strongest decade.
723 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 17% of all-time use.
Gustav births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s
1880s
325 births
- 1890s 218
1890s
218 births
- 1900s 166
1900s
166 births
- 1910s
1910s
723 births
- 1920s
1920s
612 births
- 1930s
1930s
339 births
- 1940s 239
1940s
239 births
- 1950s 195
1950s
195 births
- 1960s 171
1960s
171 births
- 1970s 149
1970s
149 births
- 1980s 143
1980s
143 births
- 1990s 207
1990s
207 births
- 2000s
2000s
296 births
- 2010s 285
2010s
285 births
- 2020s 199
2020s
199 births
What this shows Peak: 1910s at 723 births (17% of all-time use).
How Gustav 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 Gustav's total volume
Gustav vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Gustav by state
Where Gustav concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 374 | 8.8% |
| #2 | Pennsylvania | | 157 | 3.7% |
| #3 | Illinois | | 141 | 3.3% |
| #4 | New Jersey | | 96 | 2.2% |
| #5 | Minnesota | | 59 | 1.4% |
| #6 | Wisconsin | | 50 | 1.2% |
| #7 | Ohio | | 31 | 0.7% |
| #8 | California | | 28 | 0.7% |
New York share of Gustav's total US births 8.8%
Even split
374 of 4,267 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 13 reporting states.
Gustav appears in 13 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Gustav? ▼
4,267 babies have been named Gustav since 1880. It currently ranks #3336 among boys. The peak year was 1917 with 99 births.
When was Gustav most popular? ▼
Gustav was most popular in the 1910s decade with 723 total births. The single peak year was 1917.
Where is Gustav most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Gustav are New York (374 births), Pennsylvania (157 births), Illinois (141 births).
How long has the name Gustav been used? ▼
Records for Gustav go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Gustav? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Gustavo, Gus, Gustave, Gust, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Gustav's data
- Gustav's decade-level peak was the 1910s (723 total births); usage has since declined to 199 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Gustavs (374 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York 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 Gustav
Nearby Names Like Gustav
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Gustav
Gustavo Boy
#640 40,357 births
Gus Boy
#1211 20,119 births
Gustave Boy
#6199 5,430 births
Gust Boy
1,871 births
Guss Boy
1,136 births
Compare Gustav side by side: Gustav vs Gustavo Gustav vs Gus Gustav vs Gustave
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Gustav
Claude #3335
91,337 births · Peak 1920
Clarke #3337
3,910 births · Peak 1947
Riyansh #3334
461 births · Peak 2017
Bartholomew #3338
4,271 births · Peak 1969
Zubayr #3333
297 births · Peak 2025
Sheppard #3339
716 births · Peak 2025
Brave #3332
508 births · Peak 2022
Reno #3340
4,160 births · Peak 1996
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. "Gustav: #3336 Boys' Name - 4,267 Births, Peak 1917." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/gustav. 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 Gustav 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.