Gem
A precious stone, used as a metaphor for someone valuable and treasured.
Name Census estimates that about 196 living Americans carry the first name Gem. It is a predominantly female name (97.7% of registrations). The average person named Gem today is around 22 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Gem births was 2022 (18 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Gem. 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
196
~ 1 in 1,748,747 Americans
Peak year
2022
18 babies that year
Average age
22
years old
2022 SSA rank
#12,983
Tracked since 1914
Gender
Gender distribution for Gem
Gem leans heavily female at 97.7% of total registrations, but 5 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Gem as a male name
- Ranked #12,983 in 2022
- 5 male births in 2022
- Peak: 2022 (5 births)
Gem as a female name
- Ranked #14,007 in 2024
- 6 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2016 (14 births)
Popularity
Gem: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Gem from the 1910s through to the 2020s, spanning 9 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 62 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Gem 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 Gem 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 Gem
The name Gem is a modern English name derived from the word "gem" referring to a precious or semi-precious stone. Its origins can be traced back to the Latin word "gemma" meaning a bud or jewel. The name likely emerged in the English language during the late 19th or early 20th century as a given name for girls.
In ancient times, gemstones were highly valued for their beauty, rarity, and believed to possess mystical properties. They were often associated with wealth, power, and even spiritual significance in various cultures. The use of the word "gem" as a name may have been inspired by these positive connotations and the desire to bestow a name that symbolizes something precious and valuable.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Gem was in the late 19th century. Gem Littler, an English actress born in 1892, was known for her performances in various plays and pantomimes during the early 20th century.
Another notable bearer of the name was Gem Munro, a Canadian artist and sculptor born in 1905. She is best known for her sculptures depicting the lives of indigenous peoples in Canada, and her work is featured in several museums across the country.
In the world of sports, Gem Naysh was an English footballer who played as a goalkeeper for various clubs in the early 20th century, including Fulham and Brentford. He was born in 1893 and played professionally from 1912 to 1928.
Gem Archer, born in 1966, is an English musician and songwriter best known as a founding member and guitarist of the British rock band Oasis. He has also worked with other artists and released solo material.
Gem Schubert, born in 1966, is an Australian artist and designer known for her intricate and detailed drawings and illustrations. Her work has been featured in various exhibitions and publications worldwide, and she has received numerous awards and accolades for her artistic achievements.
While the name Gem is relatively uncommon, it has been used throughout history as a given name for girls, often drawing inspiration from the precious gemstones and their symbolic meanings of beauty, value, and rarity.
People
Gem + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Gem 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
Gem: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Gem?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 196 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Gem 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 1,748,747 US residents.
Is Gem a common name?
We classify Gem as "Very Rare". It ranks above 74% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 214 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Gem most popular?
The single biggest year for Gem was 2022, when 18 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Gem is about 22 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Gem a female name?
Yes, 97.7% of people registered as Gem in the SSA data are female. 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.