Gustav

Did you know?

A few things about Gustav you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.

⭐ Famous Gustav

Gustav Mahler

Austrian late-Romantic composer (1860–1911)

Choose Gustav and your child shares a first name with Gustav Mahler, an Austrian late-Romantic composer. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Gustav, like who?” Gustav Mahler's Wikipedia article is available in 151 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.

Read about Gustav Mahler on Wikipedia ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Photo: Moritz Nähr, Public domain (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons

• 👶How commonAbout 1 in every 56,818 baby boys born in the US in 2025 was named Gustav, 30 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Gustav would very likely be the only one.
• 📜HistoryGustav has been in use since at least 1880, the first year US birth records were kept. That's 145 years of Gustavs, and counting.
• 🏆Best yearIt was far more popular in 1883, when it ranked #240. Today it's #3,658, so it could be due a comeback.
• 🍂TrendGustav has slipped 584 places over the last five years and now sits at #3,658. Good news if you want a familiar name that fewer kids will share.
• 💬MeaningIn Swedish, Gustav means “staff of the Geats”. Our records link it to German and Scandinavian roots.

About the name Gustav

Gustav is a boy name of German and Scandinavian origin meaning “staff of the Geats”. It has 6 letters and 2 syllables, starting with G and ending in “-tav”. US birth records list Gustav for boys from 1880 to 2025, in 146 of those 146 years. Its best year was 1883, when it ranked #240 among boy names. In 2025 it ranked #3,658, with 30 babies.

Origin:German namesScandinavian names