Gatsby
Of French origin, a diminutive form of the surname meaning "ruler of Gascony".
Name Census estimates that about 145 living Americans carry the first name Gatsby. It is a predominantly male name (96.6% of registrations). The average person named Gatsby today is around 8 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Gatsby births was 2015 (17 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Gatsby. 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.
People living today
145
~ 1 in 2,363,823 Americans
Peak year
2015
17 babies that year
Average age
8
years old
2024 SSA rank
#10,192
Tracked since 2007
Gender
Gender distribution for Gatsby
Gatsby leans heavily male at 96.6% of total registrations, but 5 girls have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Gatsby as a male name
- Ranked #10,192 in 2024
- 7 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2016 (17 births)
Gatsby as a female name
- Ranked #17,364 in 2015
- 5 female births in 2015
- Peak: 2015 (5 births)
Popularity
Gatsby: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Gatsby from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 89 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Gatsby remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Gatsby 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 Gatsby 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 Gatsby
The name Gatsby is believed to be of English origin, derived from the Old English name "Gādessig," which means "prosperous" or "wealthy." This name gained popularity during the Middle Ages in England, particularly among the upper classes and nobility.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Gatsby can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appears as "Gadesberie," referring to a landowner or tenant in the county of Wiltshire.
In the 13th century, a notable individual named Gatsby de Montfort was a prominent member of the English baronial opposition against King Henry III during the Second Barons' War. De Montfort played a crucial role in the conflict, which ultimately led to the establishment of the first English Parliament.
During the Renaissance period, the name Gatsby was associated with the arts and literature. A well-known example is Gatsby Browne, an English playwright and poet who lived from 1552 to 1615. Browne's works, including plays and sonnets, were highly regarded during his time.
In the 18th century, Gatsby Witherspoon (1723-1794) was a prominent Scottish philosopher and educator. He was known for his contributions to the Scottish Enlightenment and his writings on moral philosophy and education.
Another noteworthy individual with the name Gatsby was Gatsby Fitzgerald (1890-1940), an American novelist and short story writer. He is best known for his novel "The Great Gatsby," which is considered a literary masterpiece and a quintessential depiction of the Jazz Age in America.
Throughout history, the name Gatsby has been associated with prosperity, wealth, and cultural significance. It has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including nobility, artists, philosophers, and writers, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and achievements of those who bore this name.
People
Gatsby + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Gatsby 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
Gatsby: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Gatsby?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 145 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Gatsby 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 2,363,823 US residents.
Is Gatsby a common name?
We classify Gatsby as "Very Rare". It ranks above 69.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 146 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Gatsby most popular?
The single biggest year for Gatsby was 2015, when 17 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Gatsby is about 8 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Gatsby a male name?
Yes, 96.6% of people registered as Gatsby 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.