Gavin

Gavin: name meaning, origin & popularity

Meaning: “white hawk”
Origin: Welsh
Say it: GAV-in · 2 syllables
Used for: Boys

Usually taken as a medieval form related to Gawain, probably of Welsh origin. The exact etymology is not fully certain, but white hawk is a common interpretation.

Welsh names Scottish names English names Names meaning bird Names meaning nature Classic names International names

How popular is Gavin?

2024415 per million US babies

Drag the line or the slider to read any year. Values are per million US births recorded by Social Security. Records before about 1937 undercount births, so early peaks can look taller than they were.

Compare with another name

Babies named Gavin in 20241,380

2024 rank#255 boys

Peak year2008

Total US babies since 1880188,526

Gavin is fading: recent use is about 25% of its level ten years before.

Names like Gavin

Variants, related forms and names with the same roots.

Dylanson of the sea · Welsh
Owenwell-born; young warrior · Welsh
Evanthe Lord is gracious · Welsh
Maddoxson of Madoc · Welsh
Ellisbenevolent · Welsh
Griffinstrong lord · Welsh
Bowenson of Owen · Welsh
Rhysardor, enthusiasm · Welsh

Gavin questions

What does the name Gavin mean?

Gavin means "white hawk". It comes from Welsh. Usually taken as a medieval form related to Gawain, probably of Welsh origin. The exact etymology is not fully certain, but white hawk is a common interpretation.

Is Gavin a boy or girl name?

Gavin is mainly a boy's name in US records (100% of uses since 1880).

How popular is Gavin?

1,380 US babies were named Gavin in 2024. Its peak year was 2008.

How do you pronounce Gavin?

Gavin is usually pronounced GAV-in.

Birth counts: US Social Security Administration national data, 1880–2024 (names given to 5+ babies of a sex in a year). How we write meanings.