Gordon
Gordon was the 1052nd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 209 babies. Its best year was 1935, when it ranked 70th; the most babies were born in 1952 (2,829). Over the last ten years it has moved down 240 places. More babies were named Gordon in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Meaning from Gordon, Berwickshire (meaning uncertain) · Scottish, Old English, Brittonic
Say it GOR-dun /ˈɡɔɹdən/
- Rank in 2025
- #1,052 boys, down 87 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 209boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19522,829 babies
- Total since 1880
- 155,579babies recorded
What does the name Gordon mean?
Gordon is a Scottish surname from the place Gordon in Berwickshire. Wiktionary says the place name likely comes from Old English gor 'mud' and dūn 'hill', though a Brittonic origin meaning 'great fort' has also been proposed. The Gordon family became a powerful clan in northeast Scotland. As a first name it spread in honor of General Charles Gordon, killed at Khartoum in 1885.
gor + dūn (Old English, “mud + hill (likely)”)*gor + *dīn (Brittonic, “great + fort (alternative)”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. Two etymologies are proposed for the place name.
Related names: Gordie, Don.
See also: Scottish names, names from places.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Gordon', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (our computation), SSA (public domain)
Nicknames for Gordon
The usual nicknames for Gordon are Gordie and Gord.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Boys, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gordie | Traditional | — | — |
| Gord | Traditional | — | — |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Gordons go by each one.
Gordon popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 670 since 1893.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,052 | 209 |
| 2020 | #965 | 225 |
| 2010 | #1,076 | 180 |
| 2000 | #641 | 285 |
| 1990 | #471 | 441 |
| 1980 | #345 | 531 |
| 1970 | #238 | 990 |
| 1960 | #159 | 2,149 |
| 1950 | #108 | 2,689 |
| 1940 | #91 | 2,296 |
| 1930 | #77 | 2,611 |
| 1920 | #85 | 2,277 |
| 1910 | #120 | 265 |
| 1900 | #152 | 137 |
| 1890 | #208 | 63 |
| 1880 | #233 | 51 |
How popular is Gordon, counting every spelling?
Gordon has no other common spelling that sounds the same. Counting every name's spellings together, it ranks #1,002 for boys in 2025, against #1,052 on the official list.
How many kids will share the name Gordon?
209 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Gordon (0.06 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Gordon born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 40 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Gordon.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Gordon?
About 63,100 people born in the US named Gordon are alive today, with a median age of 66; half are between 50 and 75. That makes Gordon a name most people associate with older generations.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Gordon by state
How common Gordon was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Minnesota (4.8×), Michigan (2.8×), Wisconsin (2.7×), Colorado (1.9×), Missouri (1.6×). In 23 states fewer than five boys a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Gordon: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Gordon, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Gordon · Sibling names for Gordon
Questions about the name Gordon
What does Gordon mean?
Gordon is usually explained as “from Gordon, Berwickshire (meaning uncertain)”, but this is uncertain. Certainty: uncertain.
How popular is the name Gordon?
Gordon was the 1052nd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 209 babies. Its best year was 1935, when it ranked 70th; the most babies were born in 1952 (2,829). Over the last ten years it has moved down 240 places. More babies were named Gordon in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Is Gordon a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Gordon in the US.
Where is Gordon most popular?
In 2021–2025, Gordon was most common in Minnesota (0.62 per 1,000 boys), followed by Michigan and North Dakota.