Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 1915

Gardner

Gender Boy Rank 2025 #5,094 Trend ↑ Rising 62%

Gardner is a male given name derived from the surname Gardner.

Rank 2025
#5,094
among boys · ↓484 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
24
named Gardner · +9% vs 2024
How common
1 in 89,899
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1915
65 babies
All-time total
3,026
#2,525 all-time among boys
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Gardner popularity over time

3,026 babies have been named Gardner since 1880, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.030.050.080.118801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
BoysGirls

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – 39 39 4 – #662
1890s – 25 25 3 -36% #801
1900s – 69 69 7 +176% #835
1910s – 426 426 43 +517% #739
1920s – 481 481 48 +13% #917
1930s – 333 333 33 -31% #1,081
1940s – 325 325 33 -2% #1,044
1950s – 234 234 23 -28% #1,344
1960s – 344 344 34 +47% #1,051
1970s – 165 165 17 -52% #1,803
1980s – 135 135 14 -18% #2,641
1990s – 112 112 11 -17% #4,251
2000s – 118 118 12 +5% #4,553
2010s 5 115 120 12 +2% #5,280
2020s (to 2025) 5 95 100 17 +39% #4,610

The story of Gardner

Gardner is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #5,094 in 2025 with 19 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 3,026 American babies have been named Gardner. Its peak came in 1915, when 65 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1910s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Gardner stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Gardner?

The median living Gardner is about 54 years old; half are between 27 and 69. An estimated 1,400 people named Gardner are alive in the United States today.

median 54 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Gardner year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 5 #15,692 19 #5,094
2024 – – 22 #4,610
2023 – – 17 #5,534
2022 – – 14 #6,254
2021 – – 12 #6,841
2020 – – 11 #7,178
2019 – – 16 #5,647
2018 – – 11 #7,289
2017 – – 15 #5,890
2016 – – 7 #10,000
2015 – – 11 #7,232
2014 – – 6 #11,179
2013 – – 10 #7,709
2012 5 #17,767 8 #9,142
2011 – – 17 #5,280
2010 – – 14 #6,150
2009 – – 8 #9,267
2008 – – 14 #6,179
2007 – – 13 #6,381
2006 – – 12 #6,600
2005 – – 9 #7,856
2004 – – 12 #6,259
2003 – – 7 #8,981
2002 – – 10 #6,702
2001 – – 17 #4,553
2000 – – 16 #4,654
1995 – – 12 #4,896
1990 – – 13 #4,251
1985 – – 15 #3,124
1980 – – 13 #3,317
1975 – – 15 #2,677
1970 – – 20 #2,018
1965 – – 33 #1,342
1960 – – 34 #1,372
1955 – – 22 #1,656
1950 – – 27 #1,407
1945 – – 31 #1,189
1940 – – 31 #1,216
1935 – – 30 #1,231
1930 – – 36 #1,178
1925 – – 41 #1,094
1920 – – 56 #925
1915 – – 65 #743
1910 – – 17 #739
1905 – – 8 #956
1900 – – 6 #1,222
1895 – – 6 #1,018
1890 – – – –
1885 – – – –
1880 – – 5 #962

Famous people named Gardner

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Gardner Fox Gardner Fox American comics writer (1911–1986) Contemporary
  2. 2 Gardner Dozois Gardner Dozois American science fiction author and editor (1947–2018) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Gardner, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Gardner?

The median living Gardner is about 54 years old. Half of all living Gardners are between 27 and 69 years old.

How many people named Gardner are alive today?

An estimated 1,400 people named Gardner are alive in the United States, based on 3,026 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Gardner mean?

Gardner is a male given name derived from the surname Gardner.

How popular is the name Gardner in 2025?

Gardner ranked #5,094 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 19 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Gardner?

3,026 babies have been named Gardner in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Gardner most popular?

Gardner peaked in 1915, when 65 newborns received the name.

Is Gardner a boy or girl name?

Gardner is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Gardner rising or falling?

Gardner is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Who are famous people named Gardner?

Well-known people named Gardner include Gardner Fox (comic artist), Gardner Dozois (writer).

Names like Gardner

Names that sound and feel close to Gardner: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Gardner with similar names → More names starting with G →