Gilad
A Hebrew masculine name meaning "everlasting joy" or "joyous celebration".
Name Census estimates that about 322 living Americans carry the first name Gilad. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Gilad today is around 27 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Gilad births was 2001 (16 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Gilad. 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
322
~ 1 in 1,064,454 Americans
Peak year
2001
16 babies that year
Average age
27
years old
2021 SSA rank
#10,076
Tracked since 1969
Popularity
Gilad: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Gilad from the 1960s through to the 2020s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 107 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Gilad 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 Gilad during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Gilads live
Origin
Meaning and history of Gilad
The name Gilad has its origins in the Hebrew language and culture, dating back to ancient times. It is derived from the Hebrew word "gilad," which means "perpetual happiness" or "everlasting joy." The name likely emerged in the region of ancient Canaan, which encompassed parts of modern-day Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, and Syria.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Gilad can be found in the Bible. In the Book of Judges, Gilad is mentioned as the name of a region east of the Jordan River, which was settled by the tribe of Manasseh. This biblical reference suggests that the name has been in use for over three millennia.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Gilad. One of the earliest known was Gilad ben David (born around 1052 BCE), a prominent military commander who served under King David in ancient Israel. Another significant figure was Gilad ben Achikam (born around 597 BCE), a Jewish leader who played a role in the events surrounding the Babylonian exile.
During the Middle Ages, the name Gilad was less common but still present. Gilad al-Dimashqi (born around 1256 CE) was a renowned Arab historian and geographer from Damascus, who wrote extensively about the region and its history.
In more recent times, Gilad Shalit (born 1986) is a former Israeli soldier who gained international attention when he was captured by Palestinian militants in 2006 and held captive for over five years before being released in a prisoner exchange.
Gilad Bloom (born 1979) is an Israeli singer and songwriter known for his fusion of various musical styles, including rock, pop, and Middle Eastern influences. He has released several successful albums and has gained a following both in Israel and abroad.
While the name Gilad has its roots in the Hebrew language and culture, it has transcended borders and gained popularity in various parts of the world, particularly among Jewish communities. Its enduring meaning of "perpetual happiness" or "everlasting joy" has likely contributed to its longevity and appeal across generations.
People
Gilad + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Gilad 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
Gilad: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Gilad?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 322 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Gilad 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 1,064,454 US residents.
Is Gilad a common name?
We classify Gilad as "Very Rare". It ranks above 80% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 330 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Gilad most popular?
The single biggest year for Gilad was 2001, when 16 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Gilad is about 27 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Gilad a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Gilad 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.