Fun Facts About the Name Gordon
- An established favorite: Gordon held a place in the U.S. top 100 for 33 consecutive years, from 1911 through 1943.
- More than 155 thousand babies named Gordon: U.S. records list 155,576 babies given the name Gordon from 1880 through 2025. Even 670 girls received the name Gordon - about 1 girl for every 231 boys.
What Does the Name Gordon Mean?
Gordon is a Scottish masculine given name whose meaning is uncertain. It comes from the Scottish surname Gordon, a territorial name taken from Gordon in Berwickshire, in the Scottish Borders. The place name itself has more than one proposed origin. One explanation derives it from Brythonic elements sometimes given as gor, 'great' or 'spacious,' and dun, 'fort,' which would make the place name mean 'great fort.' Another explanation derives it from Old English gor, 'dirt' or 'mud,' and dūn, 'hill,' which would make it 'muddy hill.' A less common suggestion connects Gaelic gort, 'field,' with dun, 'fort.' Because these derivations compete, the literal meaning of Gordon is not settled; what is clear is that the personal name is habitational, taken from the place name rather than from a descriptive word in everyday use.
Gordon Name History & Origins
The surname Gordon is territorial: it was taken from the lands of Gordon in Berwickshire. The surname is recorded in Scotland by the 12th century, when Adam de Gordon witnessed charters in the reign of David I. The Gordon family later became prominent in Aberdeenshire after a Sir Adam de Gordon received the lands of Strathbogie from Robert the Bruce in the 14th century; the chief of Clan Gordon is the Marquess of Huntly. The surname spread through Scotland and England, and Gordon also became a masculine given name in the English-speaking world. As a first name it was in use by the 19th century, when family surnames were often given to children. The poet George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron (1788 - 1824), carried Gordon as a middle name from his mother's family, and General Charles George Gordon (1833 - 1885) was a celebrated British soldier. These are later associations, not the source of the name.
How Popular is the Name Gordon?
Gordon remained among the top 100 boy names in the U.S. from 1911 to 1943. Its highest annual birth count was in 1952, and people born that year turn 74 in 2026.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | #11,320 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1986 | #8,858 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1984 | #10,979 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1978 | #6,573 | 9 | 0.0006% |
| 1975 | #5,668 | 10 | 0.0007% |
| 1974 | #8,030 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1971 | #7,704 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1970 | #8,425 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1969 | #7,866 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1967 | #5,149 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1966 | #5,450 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1965 | #6,867 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1964 | #5,656 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1963 | #5,513 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1962 | #4,655 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1961 | #6,923 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1960 | #4,002 | 11 | 0.0005% |
| 1959 | #2,624 | 20 | 0.0010% |
| 1957 | #4,028 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1956 | #5,010 | 7 | 0.0003% |
| 1955 | #5,438 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1953 | #5,995 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1952 | #5,134 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1947 | #3,320 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1946 | #3,104 | 11 | 0.0007% |
| 1945 | #4,816 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1943 | #3,337 | 9 | 0.0006% |
| 1942 | #3,279 | 9 | 0.0007% |
| 1941 | #3,719 | 7 | 0.0006% |
| 1940 | #4,617 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1939 | #2,477 | 12 | 0.0011% |
| 1938 | #4,027 | 6 | 0.0005% |
| 1937 | #2,493 | 12 | 0.0011% |
| 1936 | #2,583 | 11 | 0.0011% |
| 1935 | #2,355 | 13 | 0.0012% |
| 1934 | #2,226 | 14 | 0.0013% |
| 1933 | #2,455 | 12 | 0.0012% |
| 1932 | #1,606 | 23 | 0.0022% |
| 1931 | #2,353 | 13 | 0.0012% |
| 1930 | #1,770 | 21 | 0.0019% |
| 1929 | #1,378 | 31 | 0.0028% |
| 1928 | #1,485 | 29 | 0.0025% |
| 1927 | #1,788 | 23 | 0.0019% |
| 1926 | #2,031 | 19 | 0.0016% |
| 1925 | #1,965 | 20 | 0.0016% |
| 1924 | #2,029 | 20 | 0.0016% |
| 1923 | #3,219 | 10 | 0.0008% |
| 1922 | #2,053 | 19 | 0.0016% |
| 1921 | #2,158 | 18 | 0.0015% |
| 1920 | #2,111 | 18 | 0.0015% |
| 1919 | #2,568 | 13 | 0.0012% |
| 1918 | #1,718 | 23 | 0.0020% |
| 1917 | #2,368 | 14 | 0.0013% |
| 1916 | #2,917 | 10 | 0.0010% |
| 1915 | #1,756 | 19 | 0.0019% |
| 1914 | #3,008 | 7 | 0.0009% |
| 1912 | #2,766 | 6 | 0.0011% |
| 1893 | #1,518 | 5 | 0.0023% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,052 | 209 | 0.0122% |
| 2024 | #1,089 | 199 | 0.0116% |
| 2023 | #993 | 222 | 0.0130% |
| 2022 | #970 | 233 | 0.0134% |
| 2021 | #929 | 243 | 0.0139% |
| 2020 | #964 | 225 | 0.0130% |
| 2019 | #841 | 267 | 0.0149% |
| 2018 | #825 | 271 | 0.0149% |
| 2017 | #822 | 274 | 0.0148% |
| 2016 | #948 | 220 | 0.0116% |
| 2015 | #812 | 279 | 0.0146% |
| 2014 | #941 | 224 | 0.0117% |
| 2013 | #1,029 | 189 | 0.0100% |
| 2012 | #1,014 | 195 | 0.0103% |
| 2011 | #1,037 | 183 | 0.0096% |
| 2010 | #1,075 | 180 | 0.0094% |
| 2009 | #1,043 | 183 | 0.0092% |
| 2008 | #950 | 212 | 0.0104% |
| 2007 | #995 | 196 | 0.0094% |
| 2006 | #905 | 215 | 0.0105% |
| 2005 | #877 | 208 | 0.0104% |
| 2004 | #753 | 246 | 0.0124% |
| 2003 | #757 | 235 | 0.0119% |
| 2002 | #673 | 275 | 0.0142% |
| 2001 | #709 | 249 | 0.0128% |
| 2000 | #641 | 285 | 0.0145% |
| 1999 | #653 | 265 | 0.0138% |
| 1998 | #641 | 275 | 0.0144% |
| 1997 | #611 | 289 | 0.0153% |
| 1996 | #547 | 343 | 0.0181% |
| 1995 | #541 | 353 | 0.0185% |
| 1994 | #551 | 347 | 0.0180% |
| 1993 | #511 | 404 | 0.0206% |
| 1992 | #504 | 400 | 0.0200% |
| 1991 | #487 | 414 | 0.0205% |
| 1990 | #471 | 441 | 0.0215% |
| 1989 | #432 | 476 | 0.0238% |
| 1988 | #418 | 464 | 0.0242% |
| 1987 | #389 | 493 | 0.0264% |
| 1986 | #362 | 517 | 0.0281% |
| 1985 | #374 | 488 | 0.0264% |
| 1984 | #360 | 505 | 0.0280% |
| 1983 | #357 | 497 | 0.0277% |
| 1982 | #345 | 538 | 0.0296% |
| 1981 | #345 | 520 | 0.0290% |
| 1980 | #345 | 531 | 0.0298% |
| 1979 | #349 | 504 | 0.0293% |
| 1978 | #341 | 516 | 0.0314% |
| 1977 | #332 | 549 | 0.0334% |
| 1976 | #334 | 517 | 0.0329% |
| 1975 | #310 | 585 | 0.0375% |
| 1974 | #294 | 631 | 0.0401% |
| 1973 | #277 | 659 | 0.0423% |
| 1972 | #269 | 719 | 0.0443% |
| 1971 | #247 | 915 | 0.0517% |
| 1970 | #237 | 991 | 0.0533% |
| 1969 | #226 | 1,012 | 0.0566% |
| 1968 | #213 | 1,093 | 0.0629% |
| 1967 | #207 | 1,115 | 0.0639% |
| 1966 | #181 | 1,387 | 0.0778% |
| 1965 | #178 | 1,444 | 0.0776% |
| 1964 | #167 | 1,772 | 0.0889% |
| 1963 | #159 | 2,081 | 0.1025% |
| 1962 | #173 | 1,786 | 0.0863% |
| 1961 | #165 | 1,991 | 0.0937% |
| 1960 | #159 | 2,151 | 0.1009% |
| 1959 | #155 | 2,210 | 0.1035% |
| 1958 | #152 | 2,224 | 0.1048% |
| 1957 | #140 | 2,465 | 0.1143% |
| 1956 | #129 | 2,484 | 0.1174% |
| 1955 | #128 | 2,557 | 0.1241% |
| 1954 | #122 | 2,741 | 0.1344% |
| 1953 | #116 | 2,781 | 0.1410% |
| 1952 | #110 | 2,829 | 0.1455% |
| 1951 | #108 | 2,759 | 0.1465% |
| 1950 | #108 | 2,690 | 0.1503% |
| 1949 | #113 | 2,546 | 0.1435% |
| 1948 | #112 | 2,510 | 0.1431% |
| 1947 | #111 | 2,671 | 0.1460% |
| 1946 | #111 | 2,410 | 0.1484% |
| 1945 | #109 | 2,146 | 0.1595% |
| 1944 | #105 | 2,271 | 0.1666% |
| 1943 | #98 | 2,608 | 0.1827% |
| 1942 | #92 | 2,606 | 0.1887% |
| 1941 | #92 | 2,404 | 0.1957% |
| 1940 | #91 | 2,296 | 0.1981% |
| 1939 | #82 | 2,508 | 0.2266% |
| 1938 | #78 | 2,657 | 0.2396% |
| 1937 | #75 | 2,533 | 0.2375% |
| 1936 | #75 | 2,567 | 0.2475% |
| 1935 | #70 | 2,614 | 0.2510% |
| 1934 | #71 | 2,640 | 0.2557% |
| 1933 | #71 | 2,524 | 0.2546% |
| 1932 | #81 | 2,409 | 0.2307% |
| 1931 | #76 | 2,397 | 0.2306% |
| 1930 | #77 | 2,611 | 0.2379% |
| 1929 | #79 | 2,493 | 0.2318% |
| 1928 | #77 | 2,596 | 0.2344% |
| 1927 | #74 | 2,680 | 0.2378% |
| 1926 | #76 | 2,629 | 0.2367% |
| 1925 | #72 | 2,748 | 0.2463% |
| 1924 | #75 | 2,714 | 0.2396% |
| 1923 | #76 | 2,576 | 0.2350% |
| 1922 | #76 | 2,527 | 0.2322% |
| 1921 | #84 | 2,382 | 0.2163% |
| 1920 | #85 | 2,277 | 0.2139% |
| 1919 | #86 | 2,017 | 0.2058% |
| 1918 | #85 | 2,233 | 0.2203% |
| 1917 | #84 | 2,019 | 0.2182% |
| 1916 | #90 | 1,792 | 0.2013% |
| 1915 | #90 | 1,717 | 0.2023% |
| 1914 | #88 | 1,355 | 0.2069% |
| 1913 | #94 | 1,017 | 0.1984% |
| 1912 | #93 | 822 | 0.1912% |
| 1911 | #97 | 404 | 0.1788% |
| 1910 | #120 | 265 | 0.1365% |
| 1909 | #121 | 230 | 0.1402% |
| 1908 | #129 | 196 | 0.1270% |
| 1907 | #120 | 199 | 0.1355% |
| 1906 | #115 | 184 | 0.1382% |
| 1905 | #134 | 165 | 0.1247% |
| 1904 | #119 | 177 | 0.1381% |
| 1903 | #131 | 142 | 0.1191% |
| 1902 | #161 | 109 | 0.0889% |
| 1901 | #153 | 103 | 0.0967% |
| 1900 | #152 | 137 | 0.0910% |
| 1899 | #146 | 107 | 0.1007% |
| 1898 | #155 | 110 | 0.0897% |
| 1897 | #173 | 89 | 0.0789% |
| 1896 | #143 | 117 | 0.0979% |
| 1895 | #148 | 104 | 0.0886% |
| 1894 | #139 | 112 | 0.0967% |
| 1893 | #173 | 83 | 0.0739% |
| 1892 | #189 | 83 | 0.0680% |
| 1891 | #181 | 71 | 0.0702% |
| 1890 | #208 | 63 | 0.0567% |
| 1889 | #213 | 60 | 0.0543% |
| 1888 | #177 | 83 | 0.0687% |
| 1887 | #234 | 47 | 0.0463% |
| 1886 | #209 | 64 | 0.0578% |
| 1885 | #237 | 48 | 0.0445% |
| 1884 | #273 | 39 | 0.0341% |
| 1883 | #268 | 38 | 0.0363% |
| 1882 | #284 | 37 | 0.0325% |
| 1881 | #280 | 32 | 0.0318% |
| 1880 | #233 | 51 | 0.0462% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
