Gar
A name of Hebrew origin meaning "warrior".
Name Census estimates that about 151 living Americans carry the first name Gar. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Gar today is around 66 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Gar births was 1958 (16 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Gar. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Gar is about 66 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Gars were born before 1970.
People living today
151
~ 1 in 2,269,896 Americans
Peak year
1958
16 babies that year
Average age
66
years old
1991 SSA rank
#8,642
Tracked since 1920
Popularity
Gar: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Gar from the 1920s through to the 1990s, spanning 8 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1950s, with 84 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1950s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Gar by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Gar during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Gar
The name Gar originated from the Old Norse language, which was spoken by the Germanic peoples who inhabited Scandinavia during the Viking Age, from around the 8th to the 11th centuries. It is believed to be derived from the Old Norse word "gardr," which means "enclosure" or "farm."
In ancient Norse mythology, Gar was the name of a legendary warrior and hero who was known for his bravery and strength in battle. He was often depicted as a fierce and fearless fighter, and his name became synonymous with courage and valor.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Gar can be found in the Icelandic Sagas, which are a collection of narratives that were written down in the 13th and 14th centuries. These sagas often featured characters with names that were common among the Norse people, including Gar.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who have borne the name Gar. One of the most famous was Gar Alperovitz (1936-2022), an American political economist and historian who is best known for his work on the decision to use atomic bombs against Japan during World War II.
Another notable Gar was Gar Samuelson (1958-1999), a American drummer who played with various rock bands, including Mega City Four and The Geniuses. He was highly regarded for his technical skills and innovative drumming style.
In the world of sports, Gar Heard (1951-2021) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for several teams, including the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Vancouver Canucks, during the 1970s and 1980s.
Gar Forman (born 1956) is another notable individual with this name. He is an American basketball executive who has served as the general manager of the Chicago Bulls and the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA.
Finally, Gar Alperovitz (1936-2022) was an American political economist and historian who is best known for his work on the decision to use atomic bombs against Japan during World War II. He was a prominent advocate for nuclear disarmament and was widely respected for his scholarly work on the subject.
People
Gar + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Gar as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with G
Other first names starting with G with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Gar: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Gar?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 151 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Gar going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 2,269,896 US residents.
Is Gar a common name?
We classify Gar as "Very Rare". It ranks above 70.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 219 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Gar most popular?
The single biggest year for Gar was 1958, when 16 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Gar is about 66 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Gar a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Gar in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.