Total births
266
Boys' name · since 1880
Gustavus
Gustavus has 266 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1966 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- 266
- total births
- 1880–2006
- years on record
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 21%
- born in that decade
266 boys have been named Gustavus since 1880, though it isn't currently a top-ranked name.
Social Security Administration records show Gustavus recorded 266 times among boys since 1880, though it doesn't currently rank among the most-used boys names, peaking in the 1960s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2006.
- 266 total births
- 1880–2006 years on record
- 1960s peak decade
- 21% born in that decade
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
266 boys have been named Gustavus since 1880, peaking in the 1960s, last recorded in 2006.
- 266
- total births
- 1880–2006
- years on record
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 21%
- born in that decade
1960s
Peak decade
21% of everyone ever named Gustavus was born in this single decade.
1966
Single peak year
10 babies were named Gustavus in 1966 - its busiest year on record.
Gustavus's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Gustavus's full recorded timeline at 1956, 51% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 49% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1880, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1966 peak of 10 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Gustavus at a glance
Last recorded 2006Peak year
1966
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1880
Gustavus popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2006
- Peak year (1966)
- 10
- Annual births at peak, across 127 years of records
Gustavus by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1960s was Gustavus's strongest decade.
56 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 21% of all-time use.
Gustavus births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s
1880s
23 births
- 1890s 5
1890s
5 births
- 1910s
1910s
46 births
- 1920s 20
1920s
20 births
- 1930s 12
1930s
12 births
- 1940s 12
1940s
12 births
- 1950s
1950s
30 births
- 1960s
1960s
56 births
- 1970s
1970s
34 births
- 1980s 18
1980s
18 births
- 2000s 10
2000s
10 births
What this shows Peak: 1960s at 56 births (21% of all-time use).
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Gustavus? ▼
Gustavus has been given to 266 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Its last appearance in the data was 2006. 10 babies were born in 1966, its single highest year.
When was Gustavus most popular? ▼
Gustavus was most popular in the 1960s decade with 56 total births. The single peak year was 1966.
How long has the name Gustavus been used? ▼
Gustavus has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 127 years of data through 2006.
What names are similar to Gustavus? ▼
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 Gustavus's data
- Gustavus's decade-level peak was the 1960s (56 total births); usage has since declined to 10 in the 2000s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- 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 Gustavus
Nearby Names Like Gustavus
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Gustavus
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 Gustavus side by side: Gustavus vs Gustavo Gustavus vs Gus Gustavus 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, 1880–2006 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Gustavus: Baby Name Since 1880 - 266 Births, Peak 1966." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/gustavus. 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 Gustavus 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.