Gordy
A diminutive of Gordon, masculine name of Scottish origin meaning "great hill".
Name Census estimates that about 236 living Americans carry the first name Gordy. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Gordy today is around 67 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Gordy births was 1959 (27 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Gordy. 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 Gordy is about 67 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Gordys were born before 1969.
People living today
236
~ 1 in 1,452,349 Americans
Peak year
1959
27 babies that year
Average age
67
years old
2016 SSA rank
#12,871
Tracked since 1908
Popularity
Gordy: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Gordy from the 1900s through to the 2010s, spanning 8 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1950s, with 144 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1950s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Gordy 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 Gordy during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Gordys live
Origin
Meaning and history of Gordy
The name Gordy is a diminutive form of the name Gordon, which is of Scottish origin. The name Gordon can be traced back to the 12th century and is derived from the Old English words "gor" and "dun," which together mean "great hill." It is believed that the name was initially used as a surname for someone who lived near a prominent hill or a fortified place.
The earliest recorded use of the name Gordon dates back to around 1150, when it appeared as a surname in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire. In the 13th century, the name gained popularity in Scotland, particularly in the regions of Berwickshire and East Lothian. One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Gordon was Sir Adam de Gordon, who lived in the late 12th century and served as a knight under King William the Lion of Scotland.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Gordy or its variations. One of the most famous was Gordon Parks (1912-2006), an American photographer, filmmaker, writer, and composer. He is best known for his work depicting the African American experience and his contributions to the Civil Rights Movement. Another notable figure was Gordon Cooper (1927-2004), an American aeronautical engineer, test pilot, and one of the seven original astronauts in NASA's Project Mercury.
In the literary world, Gordon Korman (born 1963) is a renowned Canadian-American author known for his popular children's and young adult novels. Sir Gordon Richards (1904-1986) was a highly successful English jockey who rode over 4,000 winners during his career, making him one of the most successful jockeys in history. Lastly, Gordon Sumner, better known as Sting (born 1951), is an English musician and actor who rose to fame as the lead singer and bassist of the rock band The Police.
While the name Gordy is less common than its parent name Gordon, it has been used throughout history as a nickname or diminutive form. The name Gordy has a strong connection to its Scottish roots and carries a sense of strength and resilience, reflecting the rugged landscapes from which it originated.
People
Gordy + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Gordy 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
Gordy: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Gordy?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 236 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Gordy 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 1,452,349 US residents.
Is Gordy a common name?
We classify Gordy as "Very Rare". It ranks above 76.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 336 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Gordy most popular?
The single biggest year for Gordy was 1959, when 27 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Gordy is about 67 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Gordy a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Gordy 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.