The first name Gavin
A boy’s name.
Pronounced /ˈɡævɪn/ 2 syllables Male Also a surname
Meaning and origin
Medieval variant of Gawain, the name of an Arthurian knight, first recorded as Old French Gauvain. The form Gavin survived in Scotland and spread to other English-speaking countries in the 1960s. Doublet of Gawain.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 33 boys were named Gavin, making it the 934th most popular boys’ name. It peaked in 1996, with 176 births (#185).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Gavin with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Gavin at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 1,125 boys born in the United States were named Gavin, the 303rd most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 2007, when 11,863 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Gavin in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Nicknames and spellings
Nicknames for Gavin
- Gav
Famous people named Gavin
51 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Gavin Newsom40th governor of California since 2019
- Gavin McInnesCanadian far-right commentator, born 1970
- Gavin WilliamsonBritish Conservative party politician (born 1976)
- Gavin MacLeodAmerican actor (1931–2021)
- Gavin HarrisonBritish drummer, born 1963
- Gavin RossdaleBritish musician, born 1965
- Gavin McCannEnglish footballer (born 1978)
- Gavin DeGrawAmerican singer, born 1977
- Gavin CreelAmerican actor and singer (1976–2024)
- Gavin HoyteEnglish-Trinidadian footballer (born 1990)
- Gavin O'ConnorAmerican film director, screenwriter, producer, playwright and actor (b. 1963)
- Gavin BryarsEnglish composer and double bassist, born 1943
Questions
- What does the name Gavin mean?
- Medieval variant of Gawain, the name of an Arthurian knight, first recorded as Old French Gauvain. The form Gavin survived in Scotland and spread to other English-speaking countries in the 1960s. Doublet of Gawain.
- How popular is the name Gavin?
- In 2025, 33 boys born in England and Wales were named Gavin, ranking 934th. Its peak was 1996, with 176 births.
- What are nicknames for Gavin?
- Common nicknames for Gavin include Gav.
- Is Gavin a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a boy's name: 100% of the 189,665 US babies named Gavin since 1880 were boys.
- When was Gavin most popular?
- 2007 in the United States, when 11,863 babies were named Gavin, its highest rank at 32nd.
- How do you pronounce Gavin?
- Gavin is /ˈɡævɪn/, 2 syllables.
- Is Gavin also a surname?
- Yes. Gavin is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.