Gustav
Gustav was given to 30 boys in 2025, #3,685 among boys’ names; 4,267 Americans have been recorded with it since 1880 (Social Security Administration, published May 2026).
An estimated 1,650 Americans named Gustav and born in the U.S. are alive in 2026 (39% of everyone recorded); the median is 29 years old and half are between 14 and 56.
Girls and boys together; gaps are years SSA did not record (fewer than 5 births).
Births of Gustav by year: SSA national baby-name file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
What does Gustav mean?
Wiktionary, English section
Gustav is “a male given name from the Germanic languages.” Its etymology gives the senses “Geat/Goth” (Gautr) and “staff” (stafr).
A common royal name in Sweden, from Old Swedish Gøtstaf, from Old Norse Gautr (“Geat/Goth”) + stafr (“staff”). The oldest record in Sweden dates back to the year 1225 (“Gostauus”). In Peder Swart’s chronicle about Gustav Vasa dated in the mid-1500s, the name is spelled Götstaff and is assumed to mean “Staff of the Geats.”
Meaning: Wiktionary, English section, as of Sep 25, 2026 (CC BY‑SA 4.0).
How popular is Gustav?
#3,685 among boys’ names, 2025
Gustav rose from #4,335 in 2015 to #3,685 in 2025 among boys’ names; its share of boys born rose from 12.0 to 17.6 per million.
99 babies in 1917, the peak
Gustav peaked in 1917, when 99 boys were given it, #597 among boys’ names. The 30 births of 2025 are 30% of that peak.
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 boys |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 30 | #3,685 | 0.02 |
| 2024 | 35 | #3,349 | 0.02 |
| 2023 | 33 | #3,498 | 0.02 |
| 2022 | 30 | #3,717 | 0.02 |
| 2021 | 34 | #3,380 | 0.02 |
| 2020 | 37 | #3,092 | 0.02 |
| 2019 | 45 | #2,776 | 0.03 |
| 2018 | 33 | #3,398 | 0.02 |
| 2017 | 33 | #3,405 | 0.02 |
| 2016 | 28 | #3,811 | 0.01 |
Every recorded year (146)
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 boys |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 23 | #4,335 | 0.01 |
| 2014 | 19 | #4,935 | 0.01 |
| 2013 | 21 | #4,517 | 0.01 |
| 2012 | 27 | #3,828 | 0.01 |
| 2011 | 29 | #3,630 | 0.02 |
| 2010 | 27 | #3,848 | 0.01 |
| 2009 | 43 | #2,814 | 0.02 |
| 2008 | 38 | #3,069 | 0.02 |
| 2007 | 24 | #4,163 | 0.01 |
| 2006 | 33 | #3,250 | 0.02 |
| 2005 | 26 | #3,649 | 0.01 |
| 2004 | 26 | #3,560 | 0.01 |
| 2003 | 24 | #3,655 | 0.01 |
| 2002 | 29 | #3,129 | 0.01 |
| 2001 | 35 | #2,704 | 0.02 |
| 2000 | 18 | #4,268 | 0.01 |
| 1999 | 19 | #3,888 | 0.01 |
| 1998 | 22 | #3,422 | 0.01 |
| 1997 | 19 | #3,644 | 0.01 |
| 1996 | 28 | #2,698 | 0.01 |
| 1995 | 21 | #3,228 | 0.01 |
| 1994 | 22 | #3,149 | 0.01 |
| 1993 | 14 | #4,315 | 0.01 |
| 1992 | 22 | #3,035 | 0.01 |
| 1991 | 23 | #2,854 | 0.01 |
| 1990 | 17 | #3,499 | 0.01 |
| 1989 | 13 | #4,112 | 0.01 |
| 1988 | 16 | #3,256 | 0.01 |
| 1987 | 15 | #3,249 | 0.01 |
| 1986 | 12 | #3,715 | 0.01 |
| 1985 | 17 | #2,873 | 0.01 |
| 1984 | 11 | #3,788 | 0.01 |
| 1983 | 12 | #3,483 | 0.01 |
| 1982 | 8 | #4,754 | under 0.01 |
| 1981 | 19 | #2,523 | 0.01 |
| 1980 | 20 | #2,474 | 0.01 |
| 1979 | 12 | #3,430 | 0.01 |
| 1978 | 20 | #2,315 | 0.01 |
| 1977 | 16 | #2,704 | 0.01 |
| 1976 | 17 | #2,540 | 0.01 |
| 1975 | 16 | #2,573 | 0.01 |
| 1974 | 15 | #2,596 | 0.01 |
| 1973 | 11 | #3,090 | 0.01 |
| 1972 | 15 | #2,469 | 0.01 |
| 1971 | 10 | #3,233 | 0.01 |
| 1970 | 17 | #2,237 | 0.01 |
| 1969 | 13 | #2,469 | 0.01 |
| 1968 | 25 | #1,595 | 0.01 |
| 1967 | 14 | #2,185 | 0.01 |
| 1966 | 19 | #1,781 | 0.01 |
| 1965 | 18 | #1,885 | 0.01 |
| 1964 | 12 | #2,465 | 0.01 |
| 1963 | 19 | #1,858 | 0.01 |
| 1962 | 11 | #2,576 | 0.01 |
| 1961 | 22 | #1,758 | 0.01 |
| 1960 | 18 | #1,935 | 0.01 |
| 1959 | 19 | #1,885 | 0.01 |
| 1958 | 17 | #1,977 | 0.01 |
| 1957 | 15 | #2,129 | 0.01 |
| 1956 | 25 | #1,581 | 0.01 |
| 1955 | 8 | #3,061 | under 0.01 |
| 1954 | 26 | #1,508 | 0.01 |
| 1953 | 17 | #1,922 | 0.01 |
| 1952 | 24 | #1,563 | 0.01 |
| 1951 | 20 | #1,696 | 0.01 |
| 1950 | 24 | #1,511 | 0.01 |
| 1949 | 26 | #1,446 | 0.01 |
| 1948 | 17 | #1,846 | 0.01 |
| 1947 | 31 | #1,327 | 0.02 |
| 1946 | 31 | #1,270 | 0.02 |
| 1945 | 13 | #1,967 | 0.01 |
| 1944 | 16 | #1,769 | 0.01 |
| 1943 | 22 | #1,504 | 0.02 |
| 1942 | 24 | #1,439 | 0.02 |
| 1941 | 29 | #1,241 | 0.02 |
| 1940 | 30 | #1,238 | 0.03 |
| 1939 | 22 | #1,433 | 0.02 |
| 1938 | 25 | #1,351 | 0.02 |
| 1937 | 28 | #1,275 | 0.03 |
| 1936 | 26 | #1,306 | 0.03 |
| 1935 | 24 | #1,406 | 0.02 |
| 1934 | 49 | #902 | 0.05 |
| 1933 | 42 | #987 | 0.04 |
| 1932 | 30 | #1,242 | 0.03 |
| 1931 | 42 | #1,042 | 0.04 |
| 1930 | 51 | #950 | 0.05 |
| 1929 | 55 | #908 | 0.05 |
| 1928 | 57 | #885 | 0.05 |
| 1927 | 53 | #956 | 0.05 |
| 1926 | 77 | #726 | 0.07 |
| 1925 | 50 | #962 | 0.04 |
| 1924 | 62 | #875 | 0.05 |
| 1923 | 61 | #875 | 0.06 |
| 1922 | 64 | #859 | 0.06 |
| 1921 | 73 | #792 | 0.07 |
| 1920 | 60 | #890 | 0.06 |
| 1919 | 83 | #684 | 0.08 |
| 1918 | 90 | #647 | 0.09 |
| 1917 | 99 | #597 | 0.11 |
| 1916 | 97 | #592 | 0.11 |
| 1915 | 92 | #597 | 0.11 |
| 1914 | 74 | #583 | 0.11 |
| 1913 | 70 | #515 | 0.14 |
| 1912 | 68 | #474 | 0.16 |
| 1911 | 28 | #581 | 0.12 |
| 1910 | 22 | #629 | 0.11 |
| 1909 | 17 | #664 | 0.10 |
| 1908 | 22 | #546 | 0.14 |
| 1907 | 13 | #756 | 0.09 |
| 1906 | 14 | #658 | 0.11 |
| 1905 | 22 | #482 | 0.17 |
| 1904 | 16 | #577 | 0.12 |
| 1903 | 15 | #587 | 0.13 |
| 1902 | 13 | #623 | 0.11 |
| 1901 | 15 | #516 | 0.14 |
| 1900 | 19 | #565 | 0.13 |
| 1899 | 18 | #445 | 0.17 |
| 1898 | 23 | #410 | 0.19 |
| 1897 | 16 | #504 | 0.14 |
| 1896 | 33 | #330 | 0.28 |
| 1895 | 19 | #463 | 0.16 |
| 1894 | 19 | #445 | 0.16 |
| 1893 | 21 | #394 | 0.19 |
| 1892 | 25 | #381 | 0.20 |
| 1891 | 23 | #361 | 0.23 |
| 1890 | 21 | #396 | 0.19 |
| 1889 | 27 | #343 | 0.24 |
| 1888 | 30 | #338 | 0.25 |
| 1887 | 34 | #283 | 0.34 |
| 1886 | 32 | #304 | 0.29 |
| 1885 | 28 | #323 | 0.26 |
| 1884 | 36 | #291 | 0.31 |
| 1883 | 44 | #242 | 0.42 |
| 1882 | 43 | #262 | 0.38 |
| 1881 | 18 | #402 | 0.18 |
| 1880 | 33 | #286 | 0.30 |
Ranks and shares: boys’ names in each year’s SSA file; share of all boys SSA recorded that year.
Is Gustav a boy’s or a girl’s name?
Gustav has been recorded only for boys: SSA lists no girls with the name in 146 years of records (it lists a name only in years with 5 or more babies of a sex).
Girls and boys named Gustav: the SSA national file counts each sex separately.
How many people are named Gustav, and how old are they?
1,650 alive in 2026, estimated
That is 39% of the 4,267 Americans ever recorded as Gustav. The median Gustav alive today is 29 years old; half are between 14 and 56.
The 2020 Census counted 2,039 people named Gustav (1 woman or girl, 2,038 men and boys). SSA’s births carried forward to Census day, April 1, 2020, predict 1,609 born in the U.S. The Census count is 27% above that prediction. Possible reasons: the Census records the name people give, which for many is the short form Gustav rather than the name on their birth record, and it counts people born abroad, whom SSA’s files leave out.
Alive today, by age
Alive today, by generation
| Generation | Born | Alive |
|---|---|---|
| Silent Generation | 1928-1945 | 86 |
| Baby Boomers | 1946-1964 | 245 |
| Generation X | 1965-1980 | 227 |
| Millennials | 1981-1996 | 257 |
| Generation Z | 1997-2012 | 432 |
| Generation Alpha | 2013-2025 | 398 |
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 Gustav born?
The states with the most babies named Gustav are New York, Pennsylvania and Illinois, with 67% of its births recorded by state since 1910.
| State | Since 1910 | Rank, boys | vs. national |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 374 | not ranked | 1.2× |
| Pennsylvania | 157 | not ranked | 0.7× |
| Illinois | 141 | not ranked | 0.8× |
| New Jersey | 96 | not ranked | 0.9× |
| Minnesota | 59 | not ranked | 0.8× |
| Wisconsin | 50 | not ranked | 0.6× |
| Ohio | 31 | not ranked | 0.2× |
| California | 28 | not ranked | 0.1× |
| Michigan | 23 | not ranked | 0.2× |
| North Dakota | 20 | not ranked | 1.0× |
Where Gustav is more common than its national share predicts
Relative to its national share, Gustav is most over-represented in New York: since 1910 it was given 1.2 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 Gustav 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 9,963 babies since 1880, Gustav is the second most given (43% of them). In 2025 it was given to 30 of their 40 babies (75%), the most given that year.
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 Gustav
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 Gustav and names like it
- Compare Gustav and GustaveBirths, ranks, peak and the living estimate side by side.
- The most given names of the 1910sGustav peaked in 1917.
- New York’s most given namesThe state where SSA recorded the most babies named Gustav since 1910.
- Germanic namesWiktionary’s origin for Gustav: every such name, by how often it is given.
- The top names of 1917The year the most babies were named Gustav.
- The names of Generation ZMost people named Gustav alive today were born 1997-2012.
- Names starting with GMost given first.