Gentry
Gentry are "well-born, genteel and well-bred people" of high social class, especially in the past. Gentry, in its widest connotation, refers to people of good social position connected to landed estates, upper levels of the clergy, or long established "gentle" families of noble descent, some of whom in some cases never obtained the official right to bear a coat of arms.
Meaning & Origin of Gentry
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Gentry are "well-born, genteel and well-bred people" of high social class, especially in the past. Gentry, in its widest connotation, refers to people of good social position connected to landed estates, upper levels of the clergy, or long established "gentle" families of noble descent, some of whom in some cases never obtained the official right to bear a coat of arms.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Gentry
As a girl name
Gentry first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1934, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2018, when 151 Gentrys were born — ranking #1,451 that year. As of 2026, Gentry ranks #2,572 for girls with 68 births, falling sharply (-33%). In total, more than 3K Gentrys have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1930s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Gentry first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1884, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2021, when 166 Gentrys were born — ranking #1,181 that year. As of 2026, Gentry ranks #1,606 for boys with 107 births, gradually falling (-14%). In total, more than 4K Gentrys have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Gentry
Phonetically similar names — useful when Gentry 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 Gentry
What does the name Gentry mean?
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About the name Gentry
Gentry is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1884 and has accumulated 4K births in the dataset. Gentry's peak popularity came in 2021 when it ranked #971. Use the chart and map above to compare Gentry's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2021 →
- Names of the 2020s →
- Names starting with "G" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
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.