boy's name
Gordon
GOR-den
- Origin Scottish
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 6
- Popularity Uncommon
- Births on record 166,400
Northern Ireland
#294
1999 births
Gordon is a Scottish surname turned given name, from a place in Berwickshire whose meaning is not settled — spacious fort is the usual gloss but it is a guess. Our data marks it reviving.
- Gordon is a name of Scottish origin.
- Peaked in 1952, when 2,835 babies were given the name.
- After peaking in the 1950s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival.
- Today about 1 in 15,863 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Gordon over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 499 |
| 1890s | 944 |
| 1900s | 1,642 |
| 1910s | 13,733 |
| 1920s | 25,829 |
| 1930s | 25,597 |
| 1940s | 24,525 |
| 1950s | 25,795 |
| 1960s | 15,896 |
| 1970s | 6,619 |
| 1980s | 5,048 |
| 1990s | 3,532 |
| 2000s | 2,304 |
| 2010s | 2,283 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 1,333 |
What Gordon means
Gordon has no securely known meaning. Spacious fort is the reading usually given, from proposed Brittonic elements, but the place name has no established derivation.
Where Gordon comes from
Gordon is a place in Berwickshire that gave its name to one of the great Scottish families, and the usual gloss — spacious or great fort, from Brittonic elements — is a proposal rather than an established derivation. The Gordons became Earls and then Dukes; the Gordon Highlanders, the Gordon setter and Gordon's gin all take the name from the family or the region. Its use as a first name is nineteenth-century and was pushed hard by General Charles Gordon's death at Khartoum in 1885, which made him a Victorian imperial martyr.
Gordon in use
Gordon peaked in the United States in 1952, when 2,835 babies were registered, and our data marks it reviving. It now ranks 752nd in Scotland on 3 births, 1052nd in the United States on 209 and 5712th in England and Wales, across 166,400 lifetime births in four of the seven markets we track. Scotland ranking it highest is what you would expect and is not always what happens — several Scottish surnames in our data now rank higher outside Scotland than in it.
How popular is Gordon?
In 2025, Gordon was given to 209 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Where Gordon is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Gordon
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Gordon also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Gordon over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
2 nicknames for Gordon
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Gordon in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Gordon
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Gordon — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Gordon
What does the name Gordon mean?
Not settled. Spacious fort is the usual gloss, but the Berwickshire place name has no established derivation.
Is Gordon a clan name?
Yes — one of the great Scottish families, who became Earls and then Dukes of Gordon.
Why did Gordon become a first name?
Nineteenth-century surname fashion, pushed by General Gordon's death at Khartoum in 1885.
Is Gordon coming back?
Our data marks it reviving, at 752nd in Scotland and 1052nd in the United States.
How popular is the name Gordon?
In 2025, Gordon was given to 209 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Is Gordon a girl's or a boy's name?
Gordon is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Gordon?
Gordon has 2 syllables.
When was Gordon most popular?
Gordon peaked in 1952, when 2,835 babies were given the name. After peaking in the 1950s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival.
What are the nicknames for Gordon?
Gordon is usually shortened to Gordie and Don.
Is Gordon a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Gordon currently ranks #491 in the United States. After peaking in the 1950s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.