Given name & surname
Gustavus
“of the staff of the gods”
Gustavus is a variant of Gustave. One Scandinavian interpretation is “of the staff of the gods.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Gustavus is a variant of Gustave. One Scandinavian interpretation is “of the staff of the gods.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Gustavus is a variant of Gustav. Gustav has been associated with Old Norse and Danish naming traditions. Gustavus is a variant of Gustave. An origin associated with Gustave is Scandinavian.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
In English usage, Gustavus developed from Gustav.
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. Gustavus is a variant of Gustav. The history of Gustav gives this family its wider story. Gustav has historical associations with Scandinavian royalty.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Gustavus through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 266
- 266 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 1966
- 10 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 2006. Later missing counts do not mean the name went unused. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 245 as a first name in 2020; 234 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.
Gustavus’s family of names
In English usage, Gustavus has a short form in Gus. In English usage, Gustavus developed from the Swedish form Gustav. Gustavus has a related form in Gustave.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 3
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 10
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- Gustavoequivalent
- Gustafequivalent
- Göstaequivalent
- Gústavequivalent
- Gustawequivalent
- Gustaafequivalent
- Gustávequivalent
- Gustauequivalent
Show 2 moreShow fewer
People named Gustavus
- Gustavus AdolphusSwedish king (regent 1611–1632) (1594–1632)
- Gustav HolstBritish composer (1874–1934)
- Gustavus Woodson SmithConfederate Army general (1821-1896)
- Gustavus Detlef HinrichsChemist, natural philosopher1836–1923
- Gustavus Franklin SwiftAmerican entrepreneur in the meat industry1839–1903
- Gustavus FoxAmerican naval officer (1821-1883)
- Gustavus MyersAmerican journalist and historian (1872–1942)
- Gustavus WaffelaertBelgian theologian, lecturer, administrator, vicar and bishop (1847 - 1931)
- Gustavus HesseliusSwedish-American painter (1682-1755)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Gustavus, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Jens
“God is gracious”
>99% boys
Raffaele
“one who is healed by God” · “the divine healer”
>99% boys
Russ
“a little red-haired boy”
>99% boys
Joell
“Jehovah is God; God is willing”
>99% boys
Geoffrey
“a man of peace”
>99% boys
Darin
“a great man” · “a gift from God”
99% boys · 1% girls
Daron
“the great one” · “from a small rocky hill”
>99% boys
Darrin
“a great man” · “a gift from God”
>99% boys