Boy · #9,631 in 2026

Gaylord

Gaylord is a given name of Norman French origin, transferred from the surname, ultimately from the Old French gaillard meaning "joyful" or "high-spirited". Notable people with the given name include:

Current Rank
#9,631
Peak Rank
#438 (1931)
Total Babies
6K
5-Yr Trend
Stable
1942
First Year
1942
Last Year
1942
Peak Year
#4621
Peak Rank
5
Total Count
1
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Gaylord

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

Gaylord is a given name of Norman French origin, transferred from the surname, ultimately from the Old French gaillard meaning "joyful" or "high-spirited". Notable people with the given name include:

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

The Story of Gaylord

Gaylord first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1882, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1931, when 168 Gaylords were born — ranking #438 that year. As of 2026, Gaylord ranks #9,631 for baby boys with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 6K Gaylords have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
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KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
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HI
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Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Names that sound like Gaylord

Phonetically similar names — useful when Gaylord 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 Gaylord

What does the name Gaylord mean?
Gaylord is a given name of Norman French origin, transferred from the surname, ultimately from the Old French gaillard meaning "joyful" or "high-spirited". Notable people with the given name include:
How popular is Gaylord in 2026?
In 2026, Gaylord ranks #9,631 among boys' names in the U.S., with 5 babies given the name that year.
When was Gaylord most popular?
Gaylord reached its peak popularity in 1931, ranking #438 that year with 168 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Gaylord most popular?
Gaylord has historically been most popular in North Dakota, Nebraska, Wisconsin. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Gaylord.
Is Gaylord a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Gaylord is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.
What names go well with Gaylord?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Gaylord include Wylie, Evans, Crawford. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Gaylord

Gaylord is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1882 and has accumulated 6K births in the dataset. Gaylord's peak popularity came in 1931 when it ranked #438. Use the chart and map above to compare Gaylord'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.