Gustav

Boy name

Gustav has been given to 4,267 babies in the U.S. since 1880. It peaked in 1917.

Meaning & origin

API A common royal name in Sweden, from Old Swedish Gøtstaf, from Old Norse Gautr (“Geat/Goth”) +&lrm; stafr (“staff”). The oldest record in Sweden dates back to the year 1225 ("Gostauus"). In Peder Swart's chronicle about Gustav Vasa dated in the mid-1500s, the name is spelled Götstaff and is assumed to mean "Staff of the Geats."

Origin: Germanic languages

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Popularity over time births per year, 1880–2025

Hover or tap the chart to read any year.

Total babies

4,267

Peak year

1917 (99 babies)

Rank in 2025

Below top 1000

First recorded

1880

10-year trend

▲ +30%

Gender split

All boys

Names with a similar vibe

Same primary gender, peaked around the same years, and roughly as common as Gustav.

4,279 babies since 1880

4,247 babies since 1880

4,293 babies since 1880

4,235 babies since 1882

4,305 babies since 1880

4,307 babies since 1880

4,212 babies since 1880

4,329 babies since 1880

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