How popular is the name Guy?

In 2025, 23 boys born in England and Wales were named Guy, ranking 1,226th. Its peak was 1996, with 203 births.

Is Guy a boy's or a girl's name?

Mostly a boy's name: 99% of the 91,102 US babies named Guy since 1880 were boys.

When was Guy most popular?

1957 in the United States, when 2,302 babies were named Guy, its highest rank at 149th.

Is Guy also a surname?

Yes. Guy is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.

The first name Guy

A boy’s name meaning “wood”.

Pronounced /ɡaɪ/ 1 syllable Male Also a surname

Meaning and origin

Guy means “wood”.

From Old French Gui, from a Frankish form of Proto-West Germanic *Widō (compare Old Dutch Wido), a short form of names beginning with the element *widu (“wood”), from Proto-Germanic *widuz; see for example modern German Witold and Old Saxon Widukind. Cognate with Italian Guido and thus a doublet of Guido. More at wood.

More names that mean forest.

From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Popularity

Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025

In 2025, 23 boys were named Guy, making it the 1,226th most popular boys’ name. It peaked in 1996, with 203 births (#168).

2,669

babies named Guy, 1996–2025

#1,226

rank in 2025

1996

peak year

Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Guy with other names.

Popularity in the United States

Babies named Guy at birth, 1880–2025

In 2025, 103 boys born in the United States were named Guy, the 1,637th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 1957, when 2,302 were.

91,102

babies named Guy since 1880

#1,637

rank in 2025

1957

peak year

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.

Guy in other languages

Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary

Գվիդոն

Gvidon

Armenian, also Գի

Guiu

Catalan

蓋伊 /盖伊

Gàiyī

Chinese

Kvido

Czech

Vito

Esperanto

Veit

German

גאי

Hebrew, also גַּיְא

Gujdó

Hungarian, also Vitold

Guido

Italian

Guidus

Latin

Gvido

Latvian

Gvidas

Lithuanian

Gwido

Polish

Guido

Portuguese

Гай

Gaj

Russian

Gvido

Slovene

Guido

Spanish

Guto

Welsh

Spelled Guy in French too.

Famous people named Guy

236 on Wikidata, most written-about first

Guy de Maupassant
French writer (1850-1893)
Guy Fawkes
English member of the Gunpowder Plot of 1605
Guy Ritchie
English filmmaker (born 1968)
Guy Pearce
Australian actor (born 1967)
Guy Debord
French Marxist theorist, writer, filmmaker (1931–1994)
Guy of Lusignan
French Poitevin knight and King of Jerusalem by right of marriage (c.1150–1194) (r. 1186–1
Guy Hamilton
English film director (1922-2016)
Guy Sebastian
Australian singer-songwriter, born 1981
Guy Mollet
French politician (1905-1975)
Guy Gavriel Kay
Canadian author of fantasy fiction (born 1954)
Guy Burgess
British-born radio producer, intelligence and Foreign Office officer and double agent, 1911–1963
Guy Laliberté
Canadian businessman, investor, poker player, space tourist, and musician, born 1959

Questions

What does the name Guy mean?: Guy means “wood”.
How popular is the name Guy?: In 2025, 23 boys born in England and Wales were named Guy, ranking 1,226th. Its peak was 1996, with 203 births.
Is Guy a boy's or a girl's name?: Mostly a boy's name: 99% of the 91,102 US babies named Guy since 1880 were boys.
When was Guy most popular?: 1957 in the United States, when 2,302 babies were named Guy, its highest rank at 149th.
How do you pronounce Guy?: Guy is /ɡaɪ/, one syllable.
Is Guy also a surname?: Yes. Guy is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.