Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 1917

Gustav

Meaning en (English) Gender Boy Rank 2025 #3,686 Trend ↓ Falling 11%

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Rank 2025
#3,686
among boys · ↓335 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
30
named Gustav · -14% vs 2024
How common
1 in 56,936
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1917
99 babies
All-time total
4,267
#1,989 all-time among boys
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Gustav popularity over time

4,267 babies have been named Gustav 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
0.130.250.380.518801900192019401960198020002020Peak 1883Boys

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 325 33 – #242
1890s 218 22 -33% #330
1900s 166 17 -24% #482
1910s 723 72 +336% #474
1920s 612 61 -15% #726
1930s 339 34 -45% #902
1940s 239 24 -29% #1,238
1950s 195 20 -18% #1,509
1960s 171 17 -12% #1,596
1970s 149 15 -13% #2,238
1980s 143 14 -4% #2,475
1990s 207 21 +45% #2,703
2000s 296 30 +43% #2,709
2010s 285 29 -4% #2,777
2020s (to 2025) 199 33 +16% #3,093

Where Gustav 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 29 0.02 outside top 500
2027 29 0.02 outside top 500
2028 29 0.02 outside top 500
2029 28 0.02 outside top 500
2030 28 0.02 outside top 500

The story of Gustav

Gustav is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #3,686 in 2025 with 30 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 4,267 American babies have been named Gustav. Its peak came in 1917, when 99 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 Gustav stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Gustav?

The median living Gustav is about 29 years old; half are between 14 and 58. An estimated 1,700 people named Gustav are alive in the United States today.

median 29 020406080100

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

Gustav year by year

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

Year Boys Boys rank
2025 30 #3,686
2024 35 #3,351
2023 33 #3,500
2022 30 #3,719
2021 34 #3,383
2020 37 #3,093
2019 45 #2,777
2018 33 #3,402
2017 33 #3,408
2016 28 #3,812
2015 23 #4,337
2014 19 #4,939
2013 21 #4,519
2012 27 #3,831
2011 29 #3,631
2010 27 #3,849
2009 43 #2,815
2008 38 #3,070
2007 24 #4,165
2006 33 #3,252
2005 26 #3,653
2004 26 #3,564
2003 24 #3,660
2002 29 #3,133
2001 35 #2,709
2000 18 #4,275
1995 21 #3,233
1990 17 #3,505
1985 17 #2,876
1980 20 #2,475
1975 16 #2,575
1970 17 #2,238
1965 18 #1,886
1960 18 #1,936
1955 8 #3,062
1950 24 #1,512
1945 13 #1,968
1940 30 #1,238
1935 24 #1,406
1930 51 #950
1925 50 #962
1920 60 #890
1915 92 #597
1910 22 #629
1905 22 #482
1900 19 #565
1895 19 #463
1890 21 #396
1885 28 #323
1880 33 #286

Famous people named Gustav

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

  1. 1 Gustav Klimt Gustav Klimt Austrian symbolist painter (1862–1918) 19th century
  2. 2 Gustav Mahler Gustav Mahler Austro-Bohemian composer and conductor (1860–1911) 19th century
  3. 3 Gustav Holst Gustav Holst English composer (1874–1934) 19th century
  4. 4 Gustav Stresemann Gustav Stresemann Chancellor of Germany in 1923 1878–1929 · 19th century
  5. 5 Gustav Wagner Gustav Wagner Austrian SS member (1911–1980) Contemporary
  6. 6 Gustav Kirchhoff Gustav Kirchhoff German physicist and mathematician (1824–1887) 19th century
  7. 7 Gustav Ritter von Kahr Gustav Ritter von Kahr German politician (1862–1934) 19th century
  8. 8 Gustav I of Sweden Gustav I of Sweden King of Sweden from 1523 to 1560 1496–1560 · Medieval
  9. 9 Gustav Noske Gustav Noske German politician (1868–1946) 19th century
  10. 10 Gustav Vigeland Gustav Vigeland Norwegian sculptor 1869–1943 · 19th century
  11. 11 Gustav, Prince of Vasa Gustav, Prince of Vasa Heir to the Swedish throne (1799–1877) 18th century
  12. 12 Gustav Fröhlich Gustav Fröhlich German actor and film director (1902–1987) Contemporary
  13. 13 Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden King of Sweden from 1792 to 1809 1778–1837 · 18th century
  14. 14 Gustav III of Sweden Gustav III of Sweden King of Sweden from 1771 to 1792 1746–1792 · 18th century
  15. 15 Gustav Heinemann Gustav Heinemann President of West Germany from 1969 to 1974 1899–1976 · 19th century
  16. 16 Gustav Landauer Gustav Landauer German anarchist and revolutionary (1870–1919) 19th century
  17. 17 Gustav Meyrink Gustav Meyrink Austrian writer and translator (1868–1932) 19th century
  18. 18 Gustav Fechner Gustav Fechner German experimental psychologist, physicist, and philosopher (1801–1887) 19th century
  19. 19 Gustav Bauer Gustav Bauer Chancellor of Germany from 1919 to 1920 1870–1944 · 19th century
  20. 20 Gustav Ludwig Hertz Gustav Ludwig Hertz German physicist (1887–1975) 19th century

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Gustav?

The median living Gustav is about 29 years old. Half of all living Gustavs are between 14 and 58 years old.

How many people named Gustav are alive today?

An estimated 1,700 people named Gustav are alive in the United States, based on 4,267 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Gustav mean?

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How popular is the name Gustav in 2025?

Gustav ranked #3,686 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 30 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Gustav?

4,267 babies have been named Gustav in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Gustav most popular?

Gustav peaked in 1917, when 99 newborns received the name.

Is Gustav a boy or girl name?

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

Is the name Gustav rising or falling?

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

Will Gustav become more popular?

Gustav is trending downward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 28 boys named Gustav 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 Gustav?

Well-known people named Gustav include Gustav Klimt (painter), Gustav Mahler (composer), Gustav Holst (composer).

Names like Gustav

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

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