Gavinn
English name derived from the Welsh name Gavin, meaning "hawk of battle" or "white hawk".
Name Census estimates that about 128 living Americans carry the first name Gavinn. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Gavinn today is around 19 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Gavinn births was 2005 (15 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Gavinn. 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
128
~ 1 in 2,677,768 Americans
Peak year
2005
15 babies that year
Average age
19
years old
2015 SSA rank
#12,710
Tracked since 1998
Popularity
Gavinn: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Gavinn from the 1990s through to the 2010s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 81 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2000s peak, Gavinn remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Gavinn 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 Gavinn 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 Gavinn
The given name Gavinn has its roots in the ancient Celtic languages, originating around the 5th century AD. It is believed to be derived from the Welsh word "gawen," which means "white hawk" or "blessed hawk." This name was popular among the Celtic tribes that inhabited the British Isles and parts of continental Europe.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Gavinn can be found in the Welsh Triads, a collection of traditional tales and folklore from medieval Wales. In these tales, Gavinn is often associated with bravery, strength, and wisdom, reflecting the revered status of hawks in Celtic mythology.
During the Middle Ages, the name Gavinn gained popularity across Europe as a result of the spread of Christianity. It is believed that St. Gavinn, a 6th-century Welsh monk and missionary, contributed significantly to the name's widespread use. St. Gavinn is said to have traveled extensively, preaching the gospel and establishing monasteries in various regions.
One of the earliest notable figures bearing the name Gavinn was Gavinn of Bantry (c. 1080 - 1127), an Irish nobleman and military leader who played a crucial role in the Irish resistance against the Norman invasion of Ireland. His bravery and leadership during the Battle of Bann in 1097 earned him a place in Irish folklore.
In the 12th century, Gavinn de Beke (c. 1150 - 1220) was a renowned English knight and landowner. He served under King Richard I and accompanied him on the Third Crusade. Gavinn de Beke's exploits during the Crusades were documented in various chronicles of the time.
Another notable figure was Gavinn Douglas (c. 1474 - 1522), a Scottish poet and clergyman. He is best known for his translation of Virgil's Aeneid into Middle Scots, which is considered a masterpiece of medieval literature. Gavinn Douglas also held influential positions within the Scottish church and served as Bishop of Dunkeld.
In the realm of literature, Gavinn Trissino (1478 - 1550) was an Italian Renaissance poet and playwright. He is credited with introducing blank verse to Italian poetry and is often regarded as the father of Italian tragedy. His play "Sofonisba" is considered a landmark work in the development of modern Italian drama.
Finally, Gavinn Hamilton (1737 - 1797) was a Scottish painter and archaeologist. He is best known for his renowned portraits of influential figures of the time, including Alexander Hamilton and George Washington. Gavinn Hamilton also made significant contributions to the study of ancient Roman ruins and artifacts during his time in Italy.
People
Gavinn + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Gavinn 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
Gavinn: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Gavinn?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 128 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Gavinn 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 2,677,768 US residents.
Is Gavinn a common name?
We classify Gavinn as "Very Rare". It ranks above 68.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 129 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Gavinn most popular?
The single biggest year for Gavinn was 2005, when 15 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Gavinn is about 19 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 Gavinn in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Gavinn a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Gavinn 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 Gavinn still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Gavinn 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 Gavinn 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 share the name Gavinn?
Find out how many Americans are named Gavinn on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.