boys' name ★ peaked 1921

Gus

Meaning Clipping of Augustus Gender Boy Rank 2025 #1,331 Trend ↓ Falling 10%

Clipping of Augustus. From the Latin name Augustus.

Rank 2025
#1,331
among boys · ↓118 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
145
named Gus · -13% vs 2024
How common
1 in 11,780
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1921
327 babies
All-time total
20,124
#838 all-time among boys
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Gus popularity over time

20,124 babies have been named Gus 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
0.380.751.131.518801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
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 – 1,029 1,029 103 – #121
1890s – 885 885 89 -14% #132
1900s – 862 862 86 -3% #174
1910s – 2,288 2,288 229 +165% #227
1920s 5 2,939 2,944 294 +29% #317
1930s – 1,990 1,990 199 -32% #348
1940s – 1,623 1,623 162 -18% #468
1950s – 1,748 1,748 175 +8% #518
1960s – 1,422 1,422 142 -19% #562
1970s – 873 873 87 -39% #736
1980s – 500 500 50 -43% #1,128
1990s – 442 442 44 -12% #1,659
2000s – 883 883 88 +100% #1,360
2010s – 1,620 1,620 162 +83% #999
2020s (to 2025) – 1,015 1,015 169 +4% #1,098

Where Gus 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 142 0.08 outside top 500
2027 139 0.08 outside top 500
2028 137 0.08 outside top 500
2029 135 0.08 outside top 500
2030 133 0.08 outside top 500

Where Gus is most popular

Boys named Gus per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.099 per 1,000. Strongest in Minnesota, Utah, and Iowa.

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 Gus 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
Minnesota 53 0.432 +338%
Utah 34 0.356 +262%
Iowa 21 0.305 +209%
South Dakota 5 0.269 +173%
Wisconsin 28 0.236 +140%
Indiana 32 0.200 +103%
Missouri 25 0.180 +83%
Oregon 13 0.171 +74%
Nebraska 6 0.138 +40%
Illinois 33 0.129 +31%
Ohio 33 0.125 +26%
Washington 18 0.110 +12%
Massachusetts 15 0.109 +11%
Pennsylvania 22 0.083 -16%
New York 30 0.069 -30%
Tennessee 11 0.061 -38%
California 51 0.056 -43%
Michigan 11 0.054 -45%
Texas 47 0.053 -46%
Louisiana 5 0.049 -50%
Colorado 5 0.039 -61%
Arizona 5 0.031 -69%
New Jersey 5 0.025 -75%
Florida 11 0.023 -76%
North Carolina 5 0.020 -80%
Alaska – – –
Alabama – – –
Arkansas – – –
Connecticut – – –
District of Columbia – – –
Delaware – – –
Georgia – – –
Hawaii – – –
Idaho – – –
Kansas – – –
Kentucky – – –
Maryland – – –
Maine – – –
Mississippi – – –
Montana – – –
North Dakota – – –
New Hampshire – – –
New Mexico – – –
Nevada – – –
Oklahoma – – –
Rhode Island – – –
South Carolina – – –
Virginia – – –
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 Gus

Gus is uncommon for boys in the United States, ranked #1,331 in 2025 with 145 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 20,124 American babies have been named Gus. Its peak came in 1921, when 327 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1920s.

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

How old are people named Gus?

The median living Gus is about 46 years old; half are between 12 and 67. An estimated 8,800 people named Gus are alive in the United States today.

median 46 020406080100

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

Gus 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 #1,331
2024 – – 167 #1,213
2023 – – 176 #1,171
2022 – – 196 #1,098
2021 – – 167 #1,181
2020 – – 164 #1,176
2019 – – 195 #1,052
2018 – – 207 #999
2017 – – 181 #1,082
2016 – – 204 #1,001
2015 – – 163 #1,153
2014 – – 155 #1,193
2013 – – 143 #1,239
2012 – – 122 #1,379
2011 – – 117 #1,418
2010 – – 133 #1,292
2009 – – 126 #1,360
2008 – – 124 #1,376
2007 – – 115 #1,416
2006 – – 108 #1,440
2005 – – 96 #1,498
2004 – – 84 #1,571
2003 – – 60 #1,946
2002 – – 62 #1,835
2001 – – 66 #1,734
2000 – – 42 #2,311
1995 – – 42 #1,999
1990 – – 44 #1,790
1985 – – 46 #1,458
1980 – – 65 #1,128
1975 – – 98 #840
1970 – – 86 #871
1965 – – 144 #631
1960 – – 196 #562
1955 – – 168 #572
1950 – – 164 #523
1945 – – 161 #470
1940 – – 152 #468
1935 – – 197 #388
1930 – – 263 #348
1925 – – 324 #317
1920 – – 312 #329
1915 – – 287 #299
1910 – – 106 #227
1905 – – 76 #220
1900 – – 120 #174
1895 – – 72 #199
1890 – – 109 #132
1885 – – 87 #155
1880 – – 99 #137

Famous people named Gus

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

  1. 1 Gus Van Sant Gus Van Sant American filmmaker (born 1952) Contemporary
  2. 2 Gus Grissom Gus Grissom American astronaut (1926–1967) Contemporary
  3. 3 Gus Kenworthy Gus Kenworthy British-American freestyle skier b. 1991 · Contemporary
  4. 4 Gus Poyet Gus Poyet Uruguayan footballer and manager (born 1967) Contemporary
  5. 5 Gus Hall Gus Hall American communist activist (1910–2000) Contemporary
  6. 6 Gus G Gus G Greek guitarist b. 1980 · Contemporary
  7. 7 Gus Williams Gus Williams American basketball player (1953–2025) Contemporary
  8. 8 Gus Hansen Gus Hansen Danish poker player (born 1974) Contemporary
  9. 9 Gus Hutchison American racing driver (born 1937) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Gus?

The median living Gus is about 46 years old. Half of all living Guss are between 12 and 67 years old.

How many people named Gus are alive today?

An estimated 8,800 people named Gus are alive in the United States, based on 20,124 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Gus mean?

Clipping of Augustus. From the Latin name Augustus.

How popular is the name Gus in 2025?

Gus ranked #1,331 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 Gus?

20,124 babies have been named Gus in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Gus most popular?

Gus peaked in 1921, when 327 newborns received the name.

Is Gus a boy or girl name?

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

Is the name Gus rising or falling?

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

Will Gus become more popular?

Gus is trending downward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 133 boys named Gus 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 Gus?

Well-known people named Gus include Gus Van Sant (film director), Gus Grissom (astronaut), Gus Kenworthy (skier).

Names like Gus

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

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