Gattis
A diminutive of the name Gatto, of Italian origin meaning "cat".
Name Census estimates that about 3 living Americans carry the first name Gattis. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Gattis today is around 85 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Gattis births was 1950 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Gattis. 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 Gattis is about 85 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Gattis' were born before 1951.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Gattis. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
3
~ 1 in 114,251,446 Americans
Peak year
1950
5 babies that year
Average age
85
years old
1950 SSA rank
#3,878
Tracked since 1950
Popularity
Gattis: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Gattis 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 Gattis during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Gattis
The given name Gattis has its origins tracing back to ancient Germanic and Nordic cultures. It is believed to be derived from the Old Norse word "gat," which means "pass" or "opening," and was likely used to refer to someone who lived near a mountain pass or a narrow passage.
Gattis was a relatively uncommon name in medieval times, but it did appear in some historical records from the Viking Age. One notable example is the Norse explorer Gattis Eiriksson, who is said to have sailed to Greenland and Vinland (present-day Newfoundland) around the year 1000 CE, predating the voyages of Christopher Columbus by nearly five centuries.
In the 13th century, a Benedictine monk named Gattis von Trier lived in the German city of Trier. He is known for his scholarly work on religious texts and his contributions to the preservation of ancient manuscripts. Another historical figure with the name Gattis was a Swedish nobleman, Gattis Grip, who lived in the 16th century and served as a military commander during the Northern Seven Years' War.
During the Renaissance period, a notable Italian artist and architect named Gattis Sansovino (1486-1570) gained recognition for his work in Venice. He is credited with designing several iconic buildings, including the Biblioteca Marciana and the Palazzo Corner della Ca' Granda.
In more recent times, a Swedish explorer named Gattis Malmgren (1824-1900) made significant contributions to the study of Arctic flora and fauna. He participated in several expeditions to the Arctic regions and discovered numerous new species of plants and animals.
While Gattis is not a common name today, it has a rich historical and cultural heritage, particularly in Germanic and Nordic regions. Its roots can be traced back to ancient times, and it has been borne by notable figures throughout history, ranging from explorers and scholars to artists and military leaders.
People
Gattis + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Gattis 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
Gattis: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Gattis?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 3 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Gattis 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 114,251,446 US residents.
Is Gattis a common name?
We classify Gattis as "Very Rare". It ranks above 4.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Gattis most popular?
The single biggest year for Gattis was 1950, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Gattis is about 85 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Gattis in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Gattis a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Gattis 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.
Is Gattis still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Gattis in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Gattis can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are called Gattis?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.