Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 1957

Gil

Meaning A diminutive of the male given name Gilbert Gender Boy Rank 2025 #4,917 Trend → Stable

A diminutive of the male given name Gilbert.

Rank 2025
#4,917
among boys · ↓901 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
20
named Gil · -26% vs 2024
How common
1 in 85,404
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1957
124 babies
All-time total
4,971
#1,782 all-time among boys
First recorded
1914
in Social Security records

Gil popularity over time

4,971 babies have been named Gil since 1914, 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
0.020.040.060.0818801900192019401960198020002020Peak 1957Boys

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 Boys Per year Change Best rank
1880s – – – –
1890s – – – –
1900s – – – –
1910s 39 4 – #1,905
1920s 114 11 +192% #1,493
1930s 160 16 +40% #1,473
1940s 381 38 +138% #874
1950s 915 92 +140% #686
1960s 900 90 -2% #695
1970s 516 52 -43% #987
1980s 508 51 -2% #1,102
1990s 508 51 0% #1,503
2000s 469 47 -8% #1,996
2010s 320 32 -32% #2,924
2020s (to 2025) 141 24 -27% #3,654

Where Gil 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 20 0.01 outside top 500
2027 20 0.01 outside top 500
2028 20 0.01 outside top 500
2029 19 0.01 outside top 500
2030 19 0.01 outside top 500

The story of Gil

Gil is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #4,917 in 2025 with 20 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.

Since 1914, 4,971 American babies have been named Gil. Its peak came in 1957, when 124 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1950s.

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

How old are people named Gil?

The median living Gil is about 48 years old; half are between 27 and 64. An estimated 4,000 people named Gil are alive in the United States today.

median 48 020406080100

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

Gil year by year

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

Year Boys Boys rank
2025 20 #4,917
2024 27 #4,016
2023 31 #3,654
2022 22 #4,606
2021 18 #5,196
2020 23 #4,318
2019 27 #3,934
2018 29 #3,737
2017 34 #3,335
2016 32 #3,468
2015 32 #3,462
2014 32 #3,403
2013 24 #4,102
2012 37 #3,074
2011 33 #3,328
2010 40 #2,924
2009 34 #3,288
2008 51 #2,485
2007 44 #2,735
2006 67 #1,996
2005 42 #2,633
2004 56 #2,113
2003 47 #2,290
2002 41 #2,441
2001 40 #2,446
2000 47 #2,150
1995 48 #1,820
1990 51 #1,622
1985 44 #1,512
1980 61 #1,167
1975 49 #1,217
1970 55 #1,106
1965 91 #773
1960 99 #768
1955 74 #858
1950 52 #962
1945 43 #977
1940 27 #1,296
1935 15 #1,869
1930 12 #2,354
1925 5 #4,482
1920 10 #2,851
1915 – –
1910 – –
1905 – –
1900 – –
1895 – –
1890 – –
1885 – –
1880 – –

Famous people named Gil

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

  1. 1 Gil Birmingham Gil Birmingham American actor (born 1953) Contemporary
  2. 2 Gil Gerard Gil Gerard American actor (1943–2025) Contemporary
  3. 3 Gil Scott-Heron Gil Scott-Heron American soul and jazz poet, musician and author (1949–2011) Contemporary
  4. 4 Gil Bellows Gil Bellows Canadian actor (born 1967) Contemporary
  5. 5 Gil Evans Gil Evans Canadian-American jazz pianist (1912–1988) Contemporary
  6. 6 Gil Amelio American technology executive (born 1943) Contemporary
  7. 7 Gil Shaham American violinist (born 1971) Contemporary
  8. 8 Gil Vicente Gil Vicente Portuguese playwright and poet (c.1465-c.1536) Medieval
  9. 9 Gil Eanes Gil Eanes Portuguese navigator and explorer 15th century
  10. 10 Gil Merrick English footballer 1922–2010 · Contemporary
  11. 11 Gil Young-ah South Korean badminton player b. 1970 · Contemporary
  12. 12 Gil Álvarez Carrillo de Albornoz Gil Álvarez Carrillo de Albornoz 14th-century Spanish cardinal and archbishop 1310–1367 · Medieval
  13. 13 Gil Roberts Gil Roberts American sprinter b. 1989 · Contemporary
  14. 14 Gil Brazilian footballer and manager b. 1950 · Contemporary
  15. 15 Gil Brazilian footballer b. 1980 · Contemporary
  16. 16 Gil Topics referred to by the same term b. 1987 · Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Gil?

The median living Gil is about 48 years old. Half of all living Gils are between 27 and 64 years old.

How many people named Gil are alive today?

An estimated 4,000 people named Gil are alive in the United States, based on 4,971 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Gil mean?

A diminutive of the male given name Gilbert.

How popular is the name Gil in 2025?

Gil ranked #4,917 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 20 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Gil?

4,971 babies have been named Gil in the United States since 1914, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Gil most popular?

Gil peaked in 1957, when 124 newborns received the name.

Is Gil a boy or girl name?

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

Is the name Gil rising or falling?

Gil has been roughly stable over the past decade.

Will Gil become more popular?

Gil looks stable. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 19 boys named Gil in 2030, ranking outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Gil?

Well-known people named Gil include Gil Birmingham (actor), Gil Gerard (actor), Gil Scott-Heron (singer).

Names like Gil

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

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