Gustav
How to say it: GOOS-tahv · /ˈɡʊstɑv/
From Old Norse elements meaning 'staff of the Geats' - longstanding royal name in Sweden.
Gustav was the 2,374th most popular boys’ name in the United States in 2025, given to 30 babies (Social Security Administration). Its busiest decade was the 1880s, its births are up about 18% in ten years, and it is projected to slip to #2,624 by 2030.
Updated · SSA 2025 data, published May 2026 · Insee 2025 data, published July 2026 · How we compute these figures
Key facts
| Rank among boys’ names, 2025 | #2,374 |
|---|---|
| Babies born in 2025 | 30 |
| Share of births | 1 in 82,883 |
| Peak decade | 1880s |
| Change over 10 years | +18% |
| Projected rank for 2030 (estimate) | #2,624 |
| In France, 2025 | #156 among boys’ names, 5 births |
Sources: Social Security Administration (SSA), Insee (France). How we compute these figures.
Its life, decade by decade
Gustav peaked in the 1880s.
What goes with it
Nicknames
- Gus
- Tav
Other spellings
Honouring a Gustav in the family
In the classroom
In a class of 25 children born in 2025, the chance that another child is called Gustav is about under 1 in 200.
Around the world
This spelling is used in Czech, Danish, English, Finnish, French, German, Norwegian, Swedish.
In France: #156 for boys in 2025.
Famous people named Gustav
- Gustav Mahler (1860–1911)Austrian late-Romantic composer
- Gustav Klimt (1862–1918)Austrian symbolist painter
- Gustav Kirchhoff (1824–1887)German physicist
From Wikidata and Wikipedia
Keep exploring
About as popular as Gustav
In the same lists
Find names you'll both love, starting with Gustav
The one-minute style quiz.