Fun Facts About the Name Gustav
- More than 4 thousand babies named Gustav: U.S. records list 4,267 babies given the name Gustav from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Gustav Mean?
Gustav (Swedish Gustaf, Latin Gustavus) has no single agreed meaning. The explanation most often given traces it to an Old Norse compound *Götstafr, from göt, the name of the Geats of Götaland, plus stafr, "staff" - roughly "staff of the Geats," a supporter or standard-bearer of that people. A competing explanation takes the first element as guð, "god," giving "God's staff." Both use the same second element, and neither has a clear documentary advantage, so the meaning is best called uncertain.
A less common suggestion connects the name with Slavic names such as Gostislav, formed from gostь, "guest," and slava, "glory." This is not the usual account, and a resemblance between names does not by itself show a shared origin.
Gustav Name History & Origins
The Swedish form of the name is Gustaf, and the Latinized Gustavus appears in sixteenth- and seventeenth-century documents; that Latin form stands behind the English spelling Gustav. Swedish records from the later Middle Ages show the name in use, though it was not common. It became a royal name when Gustav Eriksson Vasa was elected king in 1523 as Gustav I. His grandson Gustav II Adolf (1594 - 1632), known in English as Gustavus Adolphus, carried it into European accounts of the Thirty Years' War.
The name stayed in the Swedish royal line through Gustav III, Gustav IV Adolf, Gustav V, and Gustav VI Adolf. The present king, Carl XVI Gustaf, keeps the older Swedish spelling with f. From Sweden the name passed into German-speaking lands and into Denmark and Norway, where it is also used. German bearers include the composer Gustav Mahler and the painter Gustav Klimt. Finnish has the related forms Kustaa and Kyösti.
In Sweden, November 6, the date of Gustav II Adolf's death at the battle of Lützen in 1632, is observed as Gustav Adolf's Day.
How Popular is the Name Gustav?
Gustav recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 1917. Its best rank was #242 in 1883.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #3,686 | 30 | 0.0018% |
| 2024 | #3,340 | 35 | 0.0020% |
| 2023 | #3,495 | 33 | 0.0019% |
| 2022 | #3,718 | 30 | 0.0017% |
| 2021 | #3,381 | 34 | 0.0019% |
| 2020 | #3,092 | 37 | 0.0021% |
| 2019 | #2,776 | 45 | 0.0025% |
| 2018 | #3,402 | 33 | 0.0018% |
| 2017 | #3,406 | 33 | 0.0018% |
| 2016 | #3,811 | 28 | 0.0015% |
| 2015 | #4,337 | 23 | 0.0012% |
| 2014 | #4,938 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 2013 | #4,519 | 21 | 0.0011% |
| 2012 | #3,831 | 27 | 0.0014% |
| 2011 | #3,631 | 29 | 0.0015% |
| 2010 | #3,849 | 27 | 0.0014% |
| 2009 | #2,815 | 43 | 0.0022% |
| 2008 | #3,070 | 38 | 0.0019% |
| 2007 | #4,165 | 24 | 0.0012% |
| 2006 | #3,251 | 33 | 0.0016% |
| 2005 | #3,652 | 26 | 0.0013% |
| 2004 | #3,564 | 26 | 0.0013% |
| 2003 | #3,660 | 24 | 0.0012% |
| 2002 | #3,133 | 29 | 0.0015% |
| 2001 | #2,709 | 35 | 0.0018% |
| 2000 | #4,275 | 18 | 0.0009% |
| 1999 | #3,892 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 1998 | #3,426 | 22 | 0.0012% |
| 1997 | #3,649 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 1996 | #2,703 | 28 | 0.0015% |
| 1995 | #3,233 | 21 | 0.0011% |
| 1994 | #3,154 | 22 | 0.0011% |
| 1993 | #4,321 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 1992 | #3,041 | 22 | 0.0011% |
| 1991 | #2,860 | 23 | 0.0011% |
| 1990 | #3,505 | 17 | 0.0008% |
| 1989 | #4,119 | 13 | 0.0006% |
| 1988 | #3,261 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 1987 | #3,252 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 1986 | #3,719 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1985 | #2,876 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 1984 | #3,791 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1983 | #3,484 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1982 | #4,756 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1981 | #2,524 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 1980 | #2,475 | 20 | 0.0011% |
| 1979 | #3,430 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1978 | #2,315 | 20 | 0.0012% |
| 1977 | #2,705 | 16 | 0.0010% |
| 1976 | #2,542 | 17 | 0.0011% |
| 1975 | #2,575 | 16 | 0.0010% |
| 1974 | #2,600 | 15 | 0.0010% |
| 1973 | #3,092 | 11 | 0.0007% |
| 1972 | #2,470 | 15 | 0.0009% |
| 1971 | #3,235 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1970 | #2,238 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 1969 | #2,470 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1968 | #1,596 | 25 | 0.0014% |
| 1967 | #2,186 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 1966 | #1,781 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 1965 | #1,886 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 1964 | #2,466 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1963 | #1,859 | 19 | 0.0009% |
| 1962 | #2,576 | 11 | 0.0005% |
| 1961 | #1,759 | 22 | 0.0010% |
| 1960 | #1,936 | 18 | 0.0008% |
| 1959 | #1,885 | 19 | 0.0009% |
| 1958 | #1,978 | 17 | 0.0008% |
| 1957 | #2,130 | 15 | 0.0007% |
| 1956 | #1,582 | 25 | 0.0012% |
| 1955 | #3,062 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1954 | #1,509 | 26 | 0.0013% |
| 1953 | #1,924 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 1952 | #1,564 | 24 | 0.0012% |
| 1951 | #1,696 | 20 | 0.0011% |
| 1950 | #1,513 | 24 | 0.0013% |
| 1949 | #1,447 | 26 | 0.0015% |
| 1948 | #1,847 | 17 | 0.0010% |
| 1947 | #1,328 | 31 | 0.0017% |
| 1946 | #1,270 | 31 | 0.0019% |
| 1945 | #1,968 | 13 | 0.0010% |
| 1944 | #1,770 | 16 | 0.0012% |
| 1943 | #1,505 | 22 | 0.0015% |
| 1942 | #1,439 | 24 | 0.0017% |
| 1941 | #1,241 | 29 | 0.0024% |
| 1940 | #1,238 | 30 | 0.0026% |
| 1939 | #1,433 | 22 | 0.0020% |
| 1938 | #1,351 | 25 | 0.0023% |
| 1937 | #1,275 | 28 | 0.0026% |
| 1936 | #1,306 | 26 | 0.0025% |
| 1935 | #1,406 | 24 | 0.0023% |
| 1934 | #902 | 49 | 0.0047% |
| 1933 | #987 | 42 | 0.0042% |
| 1932 | #1,242 | 30 | 0.0029% |
| 1931 | #1,042 | 42 | 0.0040% |
| 1930 | #950 | 51 | 0.0046% |
| 1929 | #908 | 55 | 0.0051% |
| 1928 | #885 | 57 | 0.0051% |
| 1927 | #956 | 53 | 0.0047% |
| 1926 | #726 | 77 | 0.0069% |
| 1925 | #962 | 50 | 0.0045% |
| 1924 | #875 | 62 | 0.0055% |
| 1923 | #875 | 61 | 0.0056% |
| 1922 | #859 | 64 | 0.0059% |
| 1921 | #792 | 73 | 0.0066% |
| 1920 | #890 | 60 | 0.0056% |
| 1919 | #684 | 83 | 0.0085% |
| 1918 | #647 | 90 | 0.0089% |
| 1917 | #597 | 99 | 0.0107% |
| 1916 | #592 | 97 | 0.0109% |
| 1915 | #597 | 92 | 0.0108% |
| 1914 | #583 | 74 | 0.0113% |
| 1913 | #515 | 70 | 0.0137% |
| 1912 | #474 | 68 | 0.0158% |
| 1911 | #581 | 28 | 0.0124% |
| 1910 | #629 | 22 | 0.0113% |
| 1909 | #664 | 17 | 0.0104% |
| 1908 | #546 | 22 | 0.0143% |
| 1907 | #756 | 13 | 0.0089% |
| 1906 | #658 | 14 | 0.0105% |
| 1905 | #482 | 22 | 0.0166% |
| 1904 | #577 | 16 | 0.0125% |
| 1903 | #587 | 15 | 0.0126% |
| 1902 | #624 | 13 | 0.0106% |
| 1901 | #516 | 15 | 0.0141% |
| 1900 | #565 | 19 | 0.0126% |
| 1899 | #445 | 18 | 0.0169% |
| 1898 | #410 | 23 | 0.0187% |
| 1897 | #504 | 16 | 0.0142% |
| 1896 | #330 | 33 | 0.0276% |
| 1895 | #463 | 19 | 0.0162% |
| 1894 | #445 | 19 | 0.0164% |
| 1893 | #394 | 21 | 0.0187% |
| 1892 | #381 | 25 | 0.0205% |
| 1891 | #361 | 23 | 0.0227% |
| 1890 | #396 | 21 | 0.0189% |
| 1889 | #343 | 27 | 0.0244% |
| 1888 | #338 | 30 | 0.0248% |
| 1887 | #283 | 34 | 0.0335% |
| 1886 | #304 | 32 | 0.0289% |
| 1885 | #323 | 28 | 0.0260% |
| 1884 | #291 | 36 | 0.0315% |
| 1883 | #242 | 44 | 0.0421% |
| 1882 | #262 | 43 | 0.0378% |
| 1881 | #402 | 18 | 0.0179% |
| 1880 | #286 | 33 | 0.0299% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Gustav Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are introspective, prophetic, philosophical, and soul searching, but also can be analytical, critical and opinionated. You think deeply and clearly, have an air of mystery, can be solitary and secretive. Emergencies may raise your intuitive abilities in order to resolve conflict or situation. You become very creative under the pressure, and have quite original ideas to make the best out of it.
You desire to inspire and lead, to control other's affairs. You are giving, courageous and bold, action oriented,energetic and strong willed. You want to make a difference in the world, and this attitude often attracts you to cultural interests, politics, social issues, and the cultivation of your creative talents.
✦ Gustav's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Gustav's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.