Given name & surname · also Germanic
Gaston
“a man from Gascony”
Gaston is used as a given name and a surname. One French interpretation is “a man from Gascony.” Its derivation is not certain.
Original FrenchVaast
Meaning & origin
What it means
One French interpretation is “a man from Gascony.” Its derivation is not certain.
Where it comes from
A possible origin is Germanic, although the derivation remains uncertain.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1881. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Gaston through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 4,053
- 4,053 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 1918
- 83 babies
- 2025
- 34
- #3,396 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +25%
- Rising
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 34 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 3,396 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 25.0% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 83 in 1918. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (6). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 3,579 as a first name in 2020; 18,733 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Gaston’s family of names
Gaston has a related form in Gascon. Gaston has a related form in Gascone. Gaston has a related form in Gasconea.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Gaston has relatives in 8 languages. Lines run from its Proto-Germanic roots to each of them.
9 related names in 8 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 12
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Gasstonlikely variant
- Gasconyvariant
- Gasconeavariant
- Gasconeevariant
- Gasconievariant
- Gasconivariant
- Gasconeyvariant
- Gasconevariant
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Across languages 9
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- Vaastsee also · French
- ВедастRussian
- ГастонRussian
- GastãoPortuguese
- Gastu̍nlij-MC
- GastoneItalian
- GastonoEsperanto
- GastónSpanish
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See also 1
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Gaston
- Gaston BachelardFrench writer and philosopher (1884-1962)
- Gaston DoumergueFrench lawyer and statesman (1863–1937)
- Gaston LerouxFrench author and journalist (1868–1927)
- Gaston ThornLuxembourgish politician (1928–2007)
- Gaston MasperoFrench egyptologist (1846–1916)
- Gaston BrownePrime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda since 2014born 1967
- Gaston, Duke of OrléansFrench prince1608–1660
- Enrico MaciasFrench recording artist; singerborn 1938
- Gaston EyskensBelgian prime minister (1905-1988)
Characters named Gaston: Gaston (Beauty and the Beast character), Gaston Lagaffe (fictional character created by André Franquin).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
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If you love Gaston, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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