Geddes
A given name of Scottish origin meaning "a hill or mound".
Name Census estimates that about 0 living Americans carry the first name Geddes. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Geddes today is around 0 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Geddes births was 1917 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Geddes. 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
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Geddes. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
0
~ - Americans
Peak year
1917
5 babies that year
Average age
-
1917 SSA rank
#4,208
Tracked since 1917
Popularity
Geddes: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Geddes 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 Geddes during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1910s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Geddes
The name Geddes has its origins in the Brittonic language, which was spoken in parts of Britain before the arrival of the Anglo-Saxons. It is believed to be derived from the Celtic word "cetu," meaning "a wood" or "forest." This suggests that the name was likely given to someone who lived in or near a wooded area.
The earliest recorded use of the name Geddes dates back to the 12th century, when it appeared in the form "Geddes" in Scottish records. It is thought to have been a surname initially, but over time, it also became used as a given name.
One of the earliest known individuals with the name Geddes was Sir Ralph Geddes, a Scottish nobleman who lived in the 13th century. He was a supporter of King Robert the Bruce during the Wars of Scottish Independence.
In the 16th century, there was a notable figure named John Geddes, who was a Catholic priest and theologian from Scotland. He was born around 1558 and was known for his scholarly works on theology and his defense of the Catholic faith during the Protestant Reformation.
Another prominent individual with the name Geddes was Alexander Geddes, a Scottish Catholic priest and biblical scholar who lived from 1737 to 1802. He is best known for his work on a new translation of the Bible, which was intended to be more accurate and accessible than previous translations.
In the 19th century, there was a British geologist and botanist named Patrick Geddes, who was born in 1854 and died in 1932. He is considered a pioneer in the field of town planning and is known for his work on urban renewal and sustainable development.
Finally, one of the most recent notable figures with the name Geddes was Sir Eric Geddes, a British businessman and politician who lived from 1875 to 1937. He served as the First Lord of the Admiralty during World War I and was later appointed as the Minister of Transport in the British government.
People
Geddes + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Geddes 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
Geddes: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Geddes?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 0 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Geddes 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 - US residents.
Is Geddes a common name?
We classify Geddes as "Very Rare". It ranks above 2.9% 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 Geddes most popular?
The single biggest year for Geddes was 1917, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Geddes is about 0 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 Geddes in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Geddes a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Geddes 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 Geddes still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Geddes 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 Geddes 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 common is the name Geddes?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.