Given name & surname
Gustaf
“of the staff of the gods”
Gustaf is a variant of Gustave. One Scandinavian interpretation is “of the staff of the gods.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Gustaf is a variant of Gustave. One Scandinavian interpretation is “of the staff of the gods.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
In Swedish use, Gustaf has a related form in Gustav. Gustav has been associated with Old Norse and Danish naming traditions. Gustaf is a variant of Gustave. An origin associated with Gustave is Scandinavian.
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. In Swedish use, Gustaf has a related form in Gustav. The history of Gustav gives this family its wider story. Gustav has historical associations with Scandinavian royalty.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Gustaf through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 747
- 747 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 1917
- 25 babies
- 2025
- 0
- Outside the ranked list
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- —
- Too few births to compare
By the numbers
The most recent published U.S. birth count for boys is 5 in 2023. Later missing counts do not mean the name went unused. Its largest published annual count for boys was 25 in 1917. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 369 as a first name in 2020; 129 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.
Gustaf’s family of names
In Swedish usage, Gustaf has a conventional equivalent in the Spanish form Gustavo. In German usage, Gustaf has a related form in Gustav. In Swedish usage, Gustaf has a conventional equivalent in the English form Gustav.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Gustaf has relatives in 5 languages.
3 related names in 5 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 2
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 2
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 12
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- GustavoSpanish
- Gustavusequivalent
- Gustauequivalent
- Kustaaequivalent
- GustawPolish
- Kustaviequivalent
- Kustiequivalent
- Göstaequivalent
Show 4 moreShow fewer
People named Gustaf
- Gustaf SkarsgårdSwedish actorborn 1980
- Gustaf de LavalSwedish engineer (1845-1913)
- Gustaf FrödingSwedish writer (1860-1911)
- Gustaf GründgensGerman actor, director, intendant (1899-1963)
- Gustaf LagerbielkeSwedish footballer (born 2000)
- Gustaf SöderströmSwedish athlete (1865-1958)
- Gustaf DyrssenSwedish officer, modern pentathlete and fencer (1891–1981)
- Gustaf John RamstedtFinnish linguist and diplomat (1873–1950)
- Gustaf ÅkerhielmSwedish 19th century prime minister (1833-1900)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Gustaf, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Gaston
“a man from Gascony”
>99% boys
Gerrit
“one who is mighty with a spear”
>99% boys
Gardner
“one who works the earth” · “the keeper of the garden”
97% boys · 3% girls
Gaines
“one who acquires”
>99% boys
Gaetano
“a man from Gaeta”
>99% boys
Gus
“a respected man; one who is exalted”
>99% boys
Rowland
“from the renowned land”
>99% boys
Vasco
“resembling a crow”
>99% boys