The first name Gustav
A boy’s name from Swedish meaning “geat/goth”, “staff”, “gostauus”.
2 syllables Male
Meaning and origin
Swedish origin
Gustav means “geat/goth”, “staff”, “gostauus” in Swedish.
A common royal name in Sweden, from Old Swedish Gøtstaf, from Old Norse Gautr (“Geat/Goth”) + stafr (“staff”). The oldest record in Sweden dates back to the year 1225 ("Gostauus"). In Peder Swart's chronicle about Gustav Vasa dated in the mid-1500s, the name is spelled Götstaff and is assumed to mean "Staff of the Geats."
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 8 boys were named Gustav, making it the 2,664th most popular boys’ name. It peaked in 2015, with 13 births (#1,786).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Gustav with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Gustav at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 30 boys born in the United States were named Gustav, the 3,686th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 1917, when 99 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.
Gustav in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Spelled Gustav in Czech, Danish, Estonian, German, Norwegian and Swedish too.
Nicknames and spellings
Famous people named Gustav
230 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Gustav MahlerAustrian late-Romantic composer (1860–1911)
- Gustav KlimtAustrian symbolist painter (1862–1918)
- Carl Gustav Jacob JacobiGerman mathematician (1804–1851)
- Gustáv HusákCzechoslovak politician, 8th President of Czechoslovakia (1913-1991)
- Gustav HolstBritish composer (1874–1934)
- Gustav MeyrinkAustrian writer and translator (1868-1932)
- Johann Gustav DroysenGerman historian (1808–1884)
- Gustav Krupp von Bohlen und HalbachGerman businessperson, politician (1870-1950)
- Gustav LandauerGerman anarchist, editor (1870-1919)
- Gustav LeonhardtDutch keyboard player, conductor, musicologist, teacher and editor (1928–2012)
- Heinrich Gustav ReichenbachGerman botanist (1824–1889)
- Gustav FlatowGerman gymnast (1875-1945)
Questions
- What does the name Gustav mean?
- Gustav means “geat/goth”, “staff”, “gostauus” in Swedish.
- What is the origin of the name Gustav?
- A common royal name in Sweden, from Old Swedish Gøtstaf, from Old Norse Gautr (“Geat/Goth”) + stafr (“staff”). The oldest record in Sweden dates back to the year 1225 ("Gostauus"). In Peder Swart's chronicle about Gustav Vasa dated in the mid-1500s, the name is spelled Götstaff and is assumed to…
- How popular is the name Gustav?
- In 2025, 8 boys born in England and Wales were named Gustav, ranking 2,664th. Its peak was 2015, with 13 births.
- What are nicknames for Gustav?
- Common nicknames for Gustav include Gus.
- Is Gustav a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a boy's name: 100% of the 4,267 US babies named Gustav since 1880 were boys.
- When was Gustav most popular?
- 1917 in the United States, when 99 babies were named Gustav, its highest rank at 597th.
- What are other spellings of Gustav?
- Gustave and Gustavus.