boys' name ★ peaked 1930

Gilbert

Meaning pledge Gender Boy · 1% girls Rank 2025 #1,330 Trend → Stable

From Old French Gislebert, from Proto-Germanic *Gīslaberhtaz, from *gīslaz (“pledge”) +‎ *berhtaz (“bright, famous”).

Rank 2025
#1,330
among boys · ↑59 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
145
named Gilbert · +7% vs 2024
How common
1 in 11,780
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1930
2,138 babies
All-time total
130,821
#257 all-time among boys
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Gilbert popularity over time

130,821 babies have been named Gilbert 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
0.631.251.882.518801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
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 – 957 957 96 – #127
1890s – 1,215 1,215 122 +27% #116
1900s 7 1,822 1,829 183 +51% #107
1910s 76 10,791 10,867 1,087 +494% #100
1920s 105 18,233 18,338 1,834 +69% #91
1930s 108 17,746 17,854 1,785 -3% #90
1940s 74 17,353 17,427 1,743 -2% #117
1950s 79 18,852 18,931 1,893 +9% #142
1960s 90 14,426 14,516 1,452 -23% #175
1970s 77 9,065 9,142 914 -37% #214
1980s 46 7,575 7,621 762 -17% #261
1990s 11 5,420 5,431 543 -29% #341
2000s – 3,614 3,614 361 -33% #527
2010s – 2,139 2,139 214 -41% #829
2020s (to 2025) – 940 940 157 -27% #1,174

Where Gilbert 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 143 0.08 outside top 500
2027 141 0.08 outside top 500
2028 140 0.08 outside top 500
2029 139 0.08 outside top 500
2030 138 0.08 outside top 500

Where Gilbert is most popular

Boys named Gilbert per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.090 per 1,000. Strongest in Arizona, New Mexico, and California.

Vs national average
well below below near national above well above no data

All 50 states and DC, sorted by rate. Counts are boys named Gilbert born 2021–2025; the per-1,000 rate makes states of different sizes comparable, and the last column shows each state against the national average.

State Boys 2021–2025 Per 1,000 vs national
Arizona 41 0.251 +179%
New Mexico 6 0.182 +103%
California 137 0.150 +67%
Texas 132 0.150 +67%
Pennsylvania 24 0.090 ≈ national
Wisconsin 10 0.084 -6%
Virginia 15 0.079 -12%
Utah 6 0.063 -30%
New York 25 0.058 -36%
Florida 26 0.055 -39%
Michigan 10 0.049 -46%
Illinois 11 0.043 -52%
Minnesota 5 0.041 -55%
Ohio 10 0.038 -58%
Washington 6 0.037 -59%
Tennessee 5 0.028 -69%
North Carolina 7 0.027 -69%
Alaska – – –
Alabama – – –
Arkansas – – –
Colorado – – –
Connecticut – – –
District of Columbia – – –
Delaware – – –
Georgia – – –
Hawaii – – –
Iowa – – –
Idaho – – –
Indiana – – –
Kansas – – –
Kentucky – – –
Louisiana – – –
Massachusetts – – –
Maryland – – –
Maine – – –
Missouri – – –
Mississippi – – –
Montana – – –
North Dakota – – –
Nebraska – – –
New Hampshire – – –
New Jersey – – –
Nevada – – –
Oklahoma – – –
Oregon – – –
Rhode Island – – –
South Carolina – – –
South Dakota – – –
Vermont – – –
West Virginia – – –
Wyoming – – –

State counts come from the Social Security Administration's state files, which omit any state-year with fewer than five babies of a name, so small states can undercount slightly.

The story of Gilbert

Gilbert is uncommon for boys in the United States, ranked #1,330 in 2025 with 145 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 130,821 American babies have been named Gilbert. Its peak came in 1930, when 2,138 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1930s.

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

How old are people named Gilbert?

The median living Gilbert is about 60 years old; half are between 42 and 72. An estimated 65 thousand people named Gilbert are alive in the United States today.

median 60 020406080100

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

Gilbert 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 – – 145 #1,330
2024 – – 135 #1,389
2023 – – 175 #1,174
2022 – – 162 #1,218
2021 – – 159 #1,216
2020 – – 164 #1,175
2019 – – 175 #1,121
2018 – – 166 #1,154
2017 – – 196 #1,026
2016 – – 215 #958
2015 – – 211 #980
2014 – – 241 #895
2013 – – 234 #891
2012 – – 201 #991
2011 – – 242 #869
2010 – – 258 #829
2009 – – 278 #802
2008 – – 316 #731
2007 – – 347 #684
2006 – – 347 #662
2005 – – 378 #599
2004 – – 409 #560
2003 – – 361 #597
2002 – – 351 #594
2001 – – 408 #536
2000 – – 419 #527
1995 – – 502 #453
1990 5 #13,717 725 #341
1985 12 #5,777 687 #297
1980 9 #6,972 832 #262
1975 6 #8,334 879 #235
1970 6 #7,367 1,170 #214
1965 7 #5,468 1,347 #189
1960 12 #3,774 1,788 #175
1955 6 #5,431 1,862 #154
1950 7 #4,464 1,881 #144
1945 9 #3,227 1,625 #130
1940 6 #4,043 1,531 #124
1935 11 #2,627 1,683 #111
1930 19 #1,897 2,119 #90
1925 10 #3,203 1,656 #105
1920 9 #3,438 1,763 #97
1915 11 #2,600 1,452 #100
1910 – – 274 #116
1905 – – 183 #117
1900 – – 145 #146
1895 – – 132 #128
1890 – – 116 #125
1885 – – 77 #172
1880 – – 101 #134

Famous people named Gilbert

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

  1. 1 Gilbert Gottfried Gilbert Gottfried American comedian (1955–2022) Contemporary
  2. 2 Gilbert Arenas Gilbert Arenas American basketball player (born 1982) Contemporary
  3. 3 Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette French military officer and politician (1757–1834) 18th century
  4. 4 Gilbert O'Sullivan Gilbert O'Sullivan Irish singer-songwriter (born 1946) Contemporary
  5. 5 Gilbert Roland Gilbert Roland American actor (1905–1994) Contemporary
  6. 6 Gilbert Strang Gilbert Strang American mathematician (born 1934) Contemporary
  7. 7 Gilbert Bécaud Gilbert Bécaud French singer, composer, pianist and actor (1927–2001) Contemporary
  8. 8 Gilbert Stuart Gilbert Stuart American painter (1755–1828) 18th century
  9. 9 Gilbert Baker Gilbert Baker American artist and activist (1951–2017) Contemporary
  10. 10 Gilbert Ryle Gilbert Ryle British philosopher (1900–1976) Contemporary
  11. 11 Gilbert N. Lewis Gilbert N. Lewis American physical chemist (1875–1946) 19th century
  12. 12 Gilbert Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, 4th Earl of Minto Gilbert Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, 4th Earl of Minto British peer and politician (1845–1914) 19th century
  13. 13 Gilbert White Gilbert White 18th-century English priest and naturalist (1720–1793) 18th century
  14. 14 Gilbert Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, 1st Earl of Minto Gilbert Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, 1st Earl of Minto British diplomat and politician (1751–1814) 18th century
  15. 15 Gilbert Diendéré Gilbert Diendéré Burkinabé military officer (born c. 1960) Contemporary
  16. 16 Gilbert Kaplan Gilbert Kaplan American businessman and financial publisher (1941–2016) Contemporary
  17. 17 Gilbert Adair Scottish novelist and journalist 1944–2011 · Contemporary
  18. 18 Gilbert Houngbo Gilbert Houngbo Togolese politician and former Prime Minister b. 1961 · Contemporary
  19. 19 Gilbert, Duke of Lorraine Duke of Lorraine (died 939) 890–939 · Medieval
  20. 20 Gilbert Stork Gilbert Stork Organic chemist 1921–2017 · Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Gilbert?

The median living Gilbert is about 60 years old. Half of all living Gilberts are between 42 and 72 years old.

How many people named Gilbert are alive today?

An estimated 65 thousand people named Gilbert are alive in the United States, based on 130,821 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Gilbert mean?

From Old French Gislebert, from Proto-Germanic *Gīslaberhtaz, from *gīslaz (“pledge”) +‎ *berhtaz (“bright, famous”).

How popular is the name Gilbert in 2025?

Gilbert ranked #1,330 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 145 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Gilbert?

130,821 babies have been named Gilbert in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Gilbert most popular?

Gilbert peaked in 1930, when 2,138 newborns received the name.

Is Gilbert a boy or girl name?

Gilbert is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 99% of babies with the name.

Is the name Gilbert rising or falling?

Gilbert is declining, less popular now than a decade ago.

Will Gilbert become more popular?

Gilbert looks stable. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 138 boys named Gilbert in 2030, ranking outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Gilbert?

Well-known people named Gilbert include Gilbert Gottfried (actor), Gilbert Arenas (basketball player), Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette (military personnel).

Names like Gilbert

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

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