Gottlieb
A masculine German name meaning "beloved of God."
Name Census estimates that about 8 living Americans carry the first name Gottlieb. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Gottlieb today is around 107 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Gottlieb births was 1915 (34 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Gottlieb. 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 Gottlieb is about 107 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Gottliebs were born before 1929.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Gottlieb. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
8
~ 1 in 42,844,292 Americans
Peak year
1915
34 babies that year
Average age
107
years old
1933 SSA rank
#3,429
Tracked since 1880
Popularity
Gottlieb: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Gottlieb from the 1880s through to the 1930s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1910s, with 143 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1910s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Gottlieb 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 Gottlieb during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Gottliebs live
Origin
Meaning and history of Gottlieb
Gottlieb is a masculine given name with German origins, derived from the words "Gott" meaning "God" and "lieb" meaning "dear" or "beloved." It emerged during the Middle Ages, a period marked by deep religious devotion and the influence of the German language across Central Europe.
The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 13th century, where it appeared in various German records and texts. It was particularly popular among Protestant Christians, who embraced names that reflected their faith and devotion to God.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name Gottlieb was Gottlieb von Andlau, a German knight who lived in the late 13th century. He was a prominent figure during the conflicts between the Holy Roman Empire and the Papacy.
In the 16th century, during the Protestant Reformation, the name gained further prominence. Gottlieb Ammann, a Swiss Protestant minister and theologian (1565-1611), was a notable figure who contributed to the spread of Reformed theology.
The 17th century saw the birth of Gottlieb Wernsdorf (1668-1729), a German theologian and scholar who made significant contributions to the study of classical literature and Greek philology.
In the 18th century, Gottlieb Sigmund Gruner (1717-1778), a German physician and botanist, gained recognition for his work in the field of natural history and his contributions to the study of medicinal plants.
The 19th century witnessed the birth of Gottlieb Daimler (1834-1900), the renowned German engineer and inventor who pioneered the development of the modern gasoline engine and the automobile industry.
Throughout its history, the name Gottlieb has been associated with individuals who have made significant contributions to various fields, including theology, literature, science, and engineering. Its enduring popularity reflects the deep-rooted religious and cultural traditions of German-speaking regions, where names often carried profound symbolic meanings.
People
Gottlieb + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Gottlieb 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
Gottlieb: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Gottlieb?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 8 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Gottlieb 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 42,844,292 US residents.
Is Gottlieb a common name?
We classify Gottlieb as "Very Rare". It ranks above 24.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 320 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Gottlieb most popular?
The single biggest year for Gottlieb was 1915, when 34 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Gottlieb is about 107 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 Gottlieb in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Gottlieb a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Gottlieb 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 Gottlieb still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Gottlieb 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 Gottlieb 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 have Gottlieb as a first name?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.