Gates: Name Popularity, History & Rankings (1880

Rank 2025

#4,759

among boys · ↓1,521 vs 2024

Babies in 2025

named Gates · -43% vs 2024

How common

1 in 81,337

boys born in 2025

Peak year

2024

37 babies

All-time total

499

#8,336 all-time among boys

First recorded

1904

in Social Security records

Gates popularity over time

499 babies have been named Gates since 1904, 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

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	–	–	–	–	–	–
1890s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1900s	–	6	6	1	–	#1,121
1910s	–	11	11	1	+83%	#2,677
1920s	–	5	5	1	-55%	#4,586
1930s	–	10	10	1	+100%	#3,674
1940s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1950s	–	12	12	1	–	#3,455
1960s	–	5	5	1	-58%	#4,269
1970s	–	5	5	1	0%	#5,361
1980s	–	11	11	1	+120%	#7,301
1990s	39	64	103	10	+836%	#5,309
2000s	5	76	81	8	-21%	#7,020
2010s	–	127	127	13	+57%	#5,384
2020s (to 2025)	–	123	123	21	+61%	#3,238

Where Gates is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year	Projected babies	Per 1,000 boys	Implied rank
2026	23	0.01	outside top 500
2027	25	0.01	outside top 500
2028	26	0.02	outside top 500
2029	27	0.02	outside top 500
2030	29	0.02	outside top 500

The story of Gates

Gates is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #4,759 in 2025 with 21 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1904, 499 American babies have been named Gates, about 91% boys and 9% girls, making it a genuinely unisex name. Its peak came in 2024, when 37 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2020s.

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 Gates stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Gates?

The median living Gates is about 14 years old; half are between 5 and 28. An estimated 500 people named Gates are alive in the United States today.

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

Gates 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	–	–	21	#4,759
2024	–	–	37	#3,238
2023	–	–	18	#5,319
2022	–	–	12	#6,960
2021	–	–	17	#5,412
2020	–	–	18	#5,100
2019	–	–	10	#7,825
2018	–	–	17	#5,384
2017	–	–	13	#6,434
2016	–	–	17	#5,389
2015	–	–	12	#6,805
2014	–	–	15	#5,821
2013	–	–	12	#6,748
2012	–	–	10	#7,737
2011	–	–	13	#6,361
2010	–	–	8	#9,071
2009	–	–	11	#7,369
2008	–	–	7	#10,231
2007	–	–	10	#7,783
2006	–	–	9	#8,234
2005	–	–	10	#7,298
2004	–	–	8	#8,393
2003	–	–	7	#8,985
2002	–	–	5	#11,269
2001	–	–	–	–
2000	5	#15,865	9	#7,020
1995	6	#12,284	5	#9,331
1990	–	–	–	–
1985	–	–	–	–
1980	–	–	–	–
1975	–	–	–	–
1970	–	–	–	–
1965	–	–	–	–
1960	–	–	–	–
1955	–	–	–	–
1950	–	–	6	#3,455
1945	–	–	–	–
1940	–	–	–	–
1935	–	–	–	–
1930	–	–	–	–
1925	–	–	–	–
1920	–	–	–	–
1915	–	–	–	–
1910	–	–	–	–
1905	–	–	–	–
1900	–	–	–	–
1895	–	–	–	–
1890	–	–	–	–
1885	–	–	–	–
1880	–	–	–	–

Famous people named Gates

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

1 Gates McFadden American actress and choreographer b. 1949 · Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Gates?

The median living Gates is about 14 years old. Half of all living Gatess are between 5 and 28 years old.

How many people named Gates are alive today?

An estimated 500 people named Gates are alive in the United States, based on 499 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

How popular is the name Gates in 2025?

Gates ranked #4,759 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 21 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Gates?

499 babies have been named Gates in the United States since 1904, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Gates most popular?

Gates peaked in 2024, when 37 newborns received the name.

Is Gates a boy or girl name?

Gates is used for both: about 9% of babies named Gates have been girls and 91% boys.

Is the name Gates rising or falling?

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

Will Gates become more popular?

Gates is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 29 boys named Gates in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Gates?

Well-known people named Gates include Gates McFadden (actor).

Names like Gates

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

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