The first name Gaylord
A boy’s name meaning “strong”, “dashing”, “strapping”.
Pronounced /ˈɡeɪˌlɔɹd/ 2 syllables Male Also a surname
Meaning and origin
Gaylord means “strong”, “dashing”, “strapping”.
Derived from the Old French surname Gaillard (from gaillard (“strong”)), via Anglo-Norman. Compare Spanish Gallardo (from gallardo (“dashing, strapping, gallant”). Shaped by folk etymology into gay + lord.
More names that mean strong.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Gaylord at birth, 1880–2025
In 1998, 5 boys born in the United States were named Gaylord, the 10,158th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 1931, when 168 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.
Famous people named Gaylord
5 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Gaylord SimpsonAmerican paleontologist (1902–1984)
- Gaylord NelsonAmerican politician (1916–2005)
- Gaylord PerryAmerican Hall of Fame baseball player (1938–2022)
- Chad SmithAmerican drummer, born 1961
- Gailard SartainAmerican actor (1943–2025)
Questions
- What does the name Gaylord mean?
- Gaylord means “strong”, “dashing”, “strapping”.
- Is Gaylord a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a boy's name: 100% of the 6,091 US babies named Gaylord since 1880 were boys.
- When was Gaylord most popular?
- 1931 in the United States, when 168 babies were named Gaylord, its highest rank at 438th.
- How do you pronounce Gaylord?
- Gaylord is /ˈɡeɪˌlɔɹd/, 2 syllables.
- Is Gaylord also a surname?
- Yes. Gaylord is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.