Boy · #4,724 in 2026

Gandalf

Gandalf, in longer form Gandalf the Grey and later Gandalf the White, is a protagonist in J. R. R. Tolkien's novels The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. He is a wizard, one of the Istari order, and the leader of the Company of the Ring. Tolkien took the name "Gandalf" from the Old Norse "Catalogue of Dwarves" (Dvergatal) in the Völuspá.

Current Rank
#4,724
Peak Rank
#4,724 (1970)
Total Babies
5
5-Yr Trend
Stable
1970
First Year
1970
Last Year
1970
Peak Year
#4724
Peak Rank
5
Total Count
1
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Gandalf

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Gandalf, in longer form Gandalf the Grey and later Gandalf the White, is a protagonist in J. R. R. Tolkien's novels The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. He is a wizard, one of the Istari order, and the leader of the Company of the Ring. Tolkien took the name "Gandalf" from the Old Norse "Catalogue of Dwarves" (Dvergatal) in the Völuspá.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Etymology
Tolkien derived the name Gandalf from Gandálfr, a dwarf in the Völuspá 's Dvergatal , a list of dwarf-names. In Old Norse , the name means staff-elf . This is reflected in his name Tharkûn , which is "said to mean 'Staff-man'" in Khuzdul , the language Tolkien invented for his Dwarves .

The Story of Gandalf

American parents first put Gandalf on the record books as a baby boy name in 1970, with 5 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 1970, when 5 Gandalfs were born — ranking #4,724 that year. Gandalf last appeared in the published SSA data in 1970, with 5 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 5 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1970s to the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

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Top 10
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No data

Names that sound like Gandalf

Phonetically similar names — useful when Gandalf is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Gandalf

What does the name Gandalf mean?
Gandalf, in longer form Gandalf the Grey and later Gandalf the White, is a protagonist in J. R. R. Tolkien's novels The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. He is a wizard, one of the Istari order, and the leader of the Company of the Ring. Tolkien took the name "Gandalf" from the Old Norse "Catalogue of Dwarves" (Dvergatal) in the Völuspá.
How popular is Gandalf in 2026?
In 2026, Gandalf ranks #4,724 among boys' names in the U.S., with 5 babies given the name that year.
When was Gandalf most popular?
Gandalf reached its peak popularity in 1970, ranking #4,724 that year with 5 babies given the name.
Is Gandalf a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Gandalf is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.
What names go well with Gandalf?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Gandalf include Arafat, Brentwood, Carmelito. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

Similar Names

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Arafat
Peak #4724
👦
Brentwood
Peak #4724
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Carmelito
Peak #4724
👦
Cheyney
Peak #4724
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Deanne
Peak #4724
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Denmark
Peak #4724
👦
Drummond
Peak #4724
👦
Duarte
Peak #4724

About the name Gandalf

Gandalf is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1970 and has accumulated 5 births in the dataset. Gandalf's peak popularity came in 1970 when it ranked #4,724. Use the chart and map above to compare Gandalf's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

  • Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
  • Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
  • Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
  • Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
  • Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.