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.
- #1,990 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #3,658 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 4,267
- born since 1880
- 1910s
- peak decade
Yes -- Gustav is the #3658 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 #3658 nationally and more common than 74% 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.
- #1,990 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #3,658 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 4,267 born since 1880
- 1910s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Gustav ranks #1,990 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #3,658 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 4,267 born since 1880, peaking in the 1910s.
- #1,990 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #3,658 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 4,267
- born since 1880
- 1910s
- peak decade
Gustav's 4,267 recorded births place it above 95.62% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
13 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by New York.
How Gustav compares
4,267 Top 14% higher than 86% of 13,930 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 (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 4,267 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 99 | 34 | 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 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
1910s is the heaviest window (723 births, 17% of the file).
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 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% |
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? ▼
Where does Gustav sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Gustav most popular? ▼
Where is Gustav most popular? ▼
How long has the name Gustav been used? ▼
What names are similar to Gustav? ▼
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
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
Compare Gustav side by side: Gustav vs Gustavo Gustav vs Gus Gustav vs Gustave
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Gustav
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Gustav: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1917)
Similar record span (~145 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 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).
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 August 2026.