Gavin

Meaning: Uncertain; possibly white hawk
Origin: Welsh — Medieval form of Gawain, a knight of Arthurian legend

Boy's name · #303 in the US (2025) · 2000s wave

Popularity over time

Gavin's best rank, #30, came in 2008; it has stepped well back to #303 today. Roughly 189,000 boys have been named Gavin since 1913.

Across the states

See where Gavin is more common.

Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 50 states. See the full state-by-state map on this page.

Around the world

See how Gavin ranks in other countries and regions.

#233 in Canada (2025) · #348 in Ireland (2025) · #495 in Scotland (2025) · #616 in Poland (2025) · #934 in England & Wales (2025) · #1,143 in Sweden (2025) · #1,786 in Italy (2024) · #4,266 in Ecuador (2025) · #4,361 in France (2024) · #2,377 in Austria (2023) · #453 in New Zealand (2022) · #270 in N. Ireland (2020) and 3 more.

Famous Gavins

Gavin Newsom — Governor of California since 2019 (born 1967)
Gavin McInnes — Canadian far-right commentator (born 1970)
Gavin Hood — South African filmmaker (born 1963)
Gavin Rossdale — British musician (born 1965)
Gavin Creel — American actor, singer and songwriter (1976–2024)

In stories & tradition

Gavin Sullivan — Fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders
Gavin Stevens — Intruder in the Dust (novel)
Gavin — Radio Rebel (TV series)

What Gavins become

Among 844 notable people named Gavin:

Sports figures appear 2.16× more often than among typical names — e.g. Gavin McCann, English footballer (born 1978).

Twin names

A popular twin pairing with Gavin is Garrett for a boy.

Similar names: Brady · Garrett · Bryce · Colin · Devin · Quinn

Browse more boy names — popularity, trends and eras for 5,700+ American names, free.

About · Privacy Policy · Terms of Service