Gordon Boy

Popularity: #730 · Trend: ↘ Falling

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: GOR-dən //ˈɡɔːrdən//

Origin: Scottish; English

Meaning: Scottish: from the muddy place; English: from the gorge

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Gordon has its roots in the Scottish Gaelic language, derived from the place name "Gordon," which is believed to mean "spacious fort" or "great hill." The etymology can be traced back to the Old Welsh word "gordd," meaning "a hill" or "a mound," combined with the Gaelic suffix "dun," which refers to a fort or fortified place. This name entered the English language through the Norman influence in Scotland during the medieval period, as the Normans brought with them various place names that evolved into surnames and subsequently given names.

Historically, the name Gordon is associated with the Scottish clan of the same name, which became prominent in the 15th century. The clan's influence grew significantly during the Wars of Scottish Independence in the late 13th and early 14th centuries, with notable figures such as Sir Adam Gordon, who was a supporter of Robert the Bruce.

The name gained further recognition through the Gordon family, which produced several notable Scottish nobles and military leaders throughout the centuries, including the 1st Duke of Gordon in the 17th century. The name also appears in various historical texts, including the writings of Sir Walter Scott in the 19th century, which helped to cement its place in Scottish heritage.

Culturally, the name Gordon carries connotations of strength and nobility, reflecting the historical significance of the clan and its members. The name has been embraced in various forms of literature and media, often symbolizing loyalty and valor.

Additionally, diminutive forms such as "Gordy" have emerged, reflecting a more familiar or affectionate usage. The enduring legacy of the name is evident in its association with various historical figures and its representation of Scottish identity.

Famous people named Gordon

In this section, you will find notable people named Gordon. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Gordon who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Gordon who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.

Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.

Gordon Ramsay is a chef and television personality best known for Hell's Kitchen, MasterChef, and Kitchen Nightmares.

Gordon Lightfoot is a singer-songwriter best known for If You Could Read My Mind, Sundown, and The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.

Gordon Sumner, known as Sting, is a musician best known for his work with The Police and his solo career including songs like Fields of Gold and Desert Rose.

Gordon Freeman is a fictional character and the protagonist of the Half-Life video game series.

Gordon Korman is an author best known for his children's and young adult books including the Swindle series and the 39 Clues series.

Fictional characters named Gordon

The following list of fictional characters named Gordon is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

Gordon Freeman is a fictional character from the video game series Half-Life. He is a theoretical physicist who becomes a key figure in the resistance against alien forces and oppressive human regimes.

Gordon Gekko is a fictional character from the film Wall Street. He is a ruthless corporate raider known for his famous mantra, 'Greed is good.'.

Gordon Ramsay is a fictional character from the animated series The Simpsons. He is a celebrity chef who often appears as a caricature of his real-life persona, known for his fiery temper and culinary expertise.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Gordon, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

GrantGavinGregoryGarrettGrahamGideon

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Gordon. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

OrsonMordecaiDorianHortonWinstonLandonCordonJordon

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Gordon was first seen in the United States in 1880.

Gordon has ranked as high as #240 nationally, which occurred in 1952, and has been most popular in New York, Michigan, California, Minnesota, and Illinois.

In the past 5 years the name Gordon has been trending down compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Gordon is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Gordon was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Gordon.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 209 209 0
2024 200 200 0
2023 223 223 0
2022 233 233 0
2021 243 243 0
2020 225 225 0
2019 267 267 0
2018 271 271 0
2017 275 275 0
2016 220 220 0
2015 279 279 0
2014 224 224 0
2013 189 189 0
2012 195 195 0
2011 183 183 0
2010 180 180 0
2009 183 183 0
2008 212 212 0
2007 196 196 0
2006 215 215 0
2005 208 208 0
2004 246 246 0
2003 235 235 0
2002 275 275 0
2001 249 249 0
2000 285 285 0
1999 265 265 0
1998 276 276 0
1997 289 289 0
1996 343 343 0
1995 353 353 0
1994 347 347 0
1993 404 404 0
1992 400 400 0
1991 414 414 0
1990 441 441 0
1989 482 476 6
1988 464 464 0
1987 493 493 0
1986 524 517 7
1985 488 488 0
1984 510 505 5
1983 497 497 0
1982 538 538 0
1981 521 521 0
1980 531 531 0
1979 503 503 0
1978 524 515 9
1977 549 549 0
1976 517 517 0
1975 595 585 10
1974 637 631 6
1973 659 659 0
1972 719 719 0
1971 921 915 6
1970 995 990 5
1969 1,017 1,012 5
1968 1,093 1,093 0
1967 1,123 1,115 8
1966 1,393 1,386 7
1965 1,449 1,444 5
1964 1,779 1,772 7
1963 2,087 2,080 7
1962 1,796 1,787 9
1961 1,999 1,994 5
1960 2,160 2,149 11
1959 2,232 2,212 20
1958 2,225 2,225 0
1957 2,474 2,464 10
1956 2,491 2,484 7
1955 2,563 2,557 6
1954 2,741 2,741 0
1953 2,786 2,781 5
1952 2,835 2,829 6
1951 2,759 2,759 0
1950 2,689 2,689 0
1949 2,546 2,546 0
1948 2,510 2,510 0
1947 2,682 2,671 11
1946 2,421 2,410 11
1945 2,151 2,146 5
1944 2,271 2,271 0
1943 2,617 2,608 9
1942 2,615 2,606 9
1941 2,411 2,404 7
1940 2,301 2,296 5
1939 2,520 2,508 12
1938 2,663 2,657 6
1937 2,545 2,533 12
1936 2,578 2,567 11
1935 2,628 2,615 13
1934 2,653 2,639 14
1933 2,536 2,524 12
1932 2,433 2,410 23
1931 2,409 2,396 13
1930 2,632 2,611 21
1929 2,524 2,493 31
1928 2,625 2,596 29
1927 2,703 2,680 23
1926 2,648 2,629 19
1925 2,768 2,748 20
1924 2,734 2,714 20
1923 2,586 2,576 10
1922 2,546 2,527 19
1921 2,400 2,382 18
1920 2,295 2,277 18
1919 2,030 2,017 13
1918 2,256 2,233 23
1917 2,033 2,019 14
1916 1,802 1,792 10
1915 1,736 1,717 19
1914 1,362 1,355 7
1913 1,017 1,017 0
1912 828 822 6
1911 404 404 0
1910 265 265 0
1909 230 230 0
1908 196 196 0
1907 199 199 0
1906 184 184 0
1905 165 165 0
1904 177 177 0
1903 142 142 0
1902 109 109 0
1901 103 103 0
1900 137 137 0
1899 107 107 0
1898 110 110 0
1897 89 89 0
1896 117 117 0
1895 104 104 0
1894 112 112 0
1893 88 83 5
1892 83 83 0
1891 71 71 0
1890 63 63 0
1889 60 60 0
1888 83 83 0
1887 47 47 0
1886 64 64 0
1885 48 48 0
1884 39 39 0
1883 38 38 0
1882 37 37 0
1881 32 32 0
1880 51 51 0

Top States for Gordon (2024)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
NY 16
12%
MI 15
11%
MN 15
11%
CA 15
11%
TX 14
10%
OH 8
6%
PA 8
6%
CO 7
5%
AZ 6
4%
SD 6
4%
TN 5
4%
MO 5
4%
WI 5
4%
MT 5
4%
IL 5
4%