Gareth
- Gender
- Boy
- Say it
- GARR-eth
- Origin
- Welsh
- UK rank, 2025
- #3,329 for boys
- US rank, 2025
- #2,764 for boys
Gareth is a boys' name of Welsh origin. In 2025 it ranked 3,329th for boys in the UK (6 babies) and 2,764th for boys in the US (46 babies).
What does Gareth mean?
Welsh
Sir Gareth is a Knight of the Round Table in Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur; the name may come from Welsh gwaredd, gentleness.
More on Wiktionary.
Is Gareth a girl's or a boy's name?
Gareth is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 6 boys in the UK and 46 boys in the US. Too few girls were given it to be listed.
How popular is Gareth in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #3,329among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 6about 1 in 50,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Steadydown 18% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 6 boys in the UK were named Gareth, making it the 3,329th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 1,829th. Its busiest year was 1996, with 398 boys.
2025 had the fewest boys named Gareth since the records began in 1996.
Half of all the boys named Gareth in the UK since 1996 were born between 1997 and 2004. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier boys aren't counted.
Among boys in 2025, it was 3,239th in England and Wales.
In the England and Wales top 100 for boys, which the ONS has published every ten years since 1904: 1954 (#85), 1964 (#79), 1974 (#46), 1984 (#35) and 1994 (#90).
Gareth in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 6 | #3,329 |
| 2024 | 11 | #2,149 |
| 2023 | 14 | #1,812 |
| 2022 | 7 | #2,922 |
| 2021 | 8 | #2,619 |
| 2020 | 13 | #1,829 |
| 2019 | 11 | #2,102 |
| 2018 | 14 | #1,803 |
| 2017 | 19 | #1,428 |
| 2016 | 16 | #1,655 |
| 2015 | 17 | #1,535 |
| 2014 | 31 | #1,005 |
| 2013 | 35 | #919 |
| 2012 | 39 | #873 |
| 2011 | 39 | #849 |
| 2010 | 47 | #727 |
| 2009 | 45 | #736 |
| 2008 | 56 | #628 |
| 2007 | 54 | #619 |
| 2006 | 87 | #427 |
| 2005 | 82 | #406 |
| 2004 | 96 | #342 |
| 2003 | 142 | #248 |
| 2002 | 160 | #225 |
| 2001 | 153 | #229 |
| 2000 | 167 | #212 |
| 1999 | 235 | #166 |
| 1998 | 264 | #155 |
| 1997 | 396 | #125 |
| 1996 | 398 | #124 |
How popular is Gareth in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #2,764among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 46about 1 in 37,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Steadydown 17% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 46 boys in the US were named Gareth, making it the 2,764th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 2,657th. Its busiest year was 2016, with 104 boys. It first appears in the records in 1916.
Half of all the boys named Gareth in the US since 1880 were born between 1969 and 2008, the years shaded on the chart below.
Gareth in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 46 | #2,764 |
| 2024 | 50 | #2,637 |
| 2023 | 47 | #2,736 |
| 2022 | 55 | #2,492 |
| 2021 | 44 | #2,818 |
| 2020 | 47 | #2,657 |
| 2019 | 58 | #2,338 |
| 2018 | 67 | #2,100 |
| 2017 | 88 | #1,746 |
| 2016 | 104 | #1,575 |
| 2015 | 102 | #1,581 |
| 2014 | 102 | #1,559 |
| 2013 | 53 | #2,363 |
| 2012 | 45 | #2,677 |
| 2011 | 52 | #2,402 |
| 2010 | 49 | #2,510 |
| 2009 | 44 | #2,752 |
| 2008 | 52 | #2,431 |
| 2007 | 54 | #2,372 |
| 2006 | 56 | #2,247 |
| 2005 | 75 | #1,749 |
| 2004 | 66 | #1,853 |
| 2003 | 81 | #1,558 |
| 2002 | 80 | #1,540 |
| 2001 | 71 | #1,644 |
| 2000 | 79 | #1,510 |
| 1999 | 82 | #1,418 |
| 1998 | 73 | #1,499 |
| 1997 | 74 | #1,453 |
| 1996 | 77 | #1,373 |
| 1995 | 75 | #1,354 |
| 1994 | 52 | #1,711 |
| 1993 | 72 | #1,335 |
| 1992 | 78 | #1,276 |
| 1991 | 58 | #1,496 |
| 1990 | 64 | #1,390 |
| 1989 | 53 | #1,532 |
| 1988 | 69 | #1,220 |
| 1987 | 59 | #1,270 |
| 1986 | 65 | #1,173 |
| 1985 | 49 | #1,388 |
| 1984 | 60 | #1,173 |
| 1983 | 53 | #1,264 |
| 1982 | 69 | #1,096 |
| 1981 | 49 | #1,334 |
| 1980 | 51 | #1,313 |
| 1979 | 45 | #1,390 |
| 1978 | 37 | #1,537 |
| 1977 | 36 | #1,546 |
| 1976 | 31 | #1,676 |
| 1975 | 30 | #1,657 |
| 1974 | 28 | #1,692 |
| 1973 | 23 | #1,870 |
| 1972 | 25 | #1,771 |
| 1971 | 29 | #1,636 |
| 1970 | 57 | #1,080 |
| 1969 | 30 | #1,463 |
| 1968 | 25 | #1,573 |
| 1967 | 28 | #1,448 |
| 1966 | 15 | #2,042 |
| 1965 | 24 | #1,594 |
| 1964 | 21 | #1,728 |
| 1963 | 29 | #1,454 |
| 1962 | 23 | #1,668 |
| 1961 | 29 | #1,495 |
| 1960 | 17 | #1,972 |
| 1959 | 18 | #1,915 |
| 1958 | 25 | #1,556 |
| 1957 | 13 | #2,273 |
| 1956 | 17 | #1,944 |
| 1955 | 20 | #1,724 |
| 1954 | 20 | #1,705 |
| 1953 | 19 | #1,764 |
| 1952 | 28 | #1,429 |
| 1951 | 24 | #1,518 |
| 1950 | 28 | #1,363 |
| 1949 | 30 | #1,321 |
| 1948 | 25 | #1,459 |
| 1947 | 33 | #1,270 |
| 1946 | 25 | #1,408 |
| 1945 | 26 | #1,295 |
| 1944 | 28 | #1,255 |
| 1943 | 39 | #1,088 |
| 1942 | 28 | #1,316 |
| 1941 | 25 | #1,333 |
| 1940 | 33 | #1,156 |
| 1939 | 21 | #1,458 |
| 1938 | 30 | #1,199 |
| 1937 | 22 | #1,444 |
| 1936 | 21 | #1,463 |
| 1935 | 25 | #1,354 |
| 1934 | 18 | #1,658 |
| 1933 | 12 | #2,093 |
| 1932 | 14 | #1,995 |
| 1931 | 14 | #2,003 |
| 1930 | 9 | #2,779 |
| 1929 | 10 | #2,588 |
| 1928 | 16 | #1,960 |
| 1927 | 15 | #2,121 |
| 1926 | 16 | #1,981 |
| 1925 | 14 | #2,192 |
| 1924 | 9 | #3,022 |
| 1923 | 17 | #1,940 |
| 1922 | 21 | #1,695 |
| 1921 | 33 | #1,267 |
| 1920 | 5 | #4,284 |
| 1919 | 7 | #3,390 |
| 1918 | 0 | – |
| 1917 | 0 | – |
| 1916 | 5 | #3,896 |
Nicknames for Gareth
- Gaz
Names like Gareth
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Adam Matthew Daniel Michael Jason Nathan Jamie Patrick Benjamin Luke David Gavin
Names related to Gareth
More Welsh names
Dylan Owen Winnie Maddox Morgan Idris Reese Bowen Griffin Rhys Reece Nia Seren Gwendolyn Winifred Meredith
Sources
Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Gareth: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/gareth, updated 20 October 2026.