Gilead
Gilead or Gilad is the ancient, historic, biblical name of the mountainous northern part of the region of Transjordan, present-day Jordan. The region is bounded in the west by the Jordan River, in the north by the deep ravine of the river Yarmouk and the region of Bashan, and in the southwest by what were known during antiquity as the "plains of Moab", with no definite boundary to the east.
- Biblical
Meaning & Origin of Gilead
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Gilead or Gilad is the ancient, historic, biblical name of the mountainous northern part of the region of Transjordan, present-day Jordan. The region is bounded in the west by the Jordan River, in the north by the deep ravine of the river Yarmouk and the region of Bashan, and in the southwest by what were known during antiquity as the "plains of Moab", with no definite boundary to the east.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- Biblical
Etymology
The Story of Gilead
American parents first put Gilead on the record books as a baby boy name in 1992, with 5 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 2015, when 11 Gileads were born — ranking #7,066 that year. The 2010s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 43% of all recorded Gileads. Its most recent appearance in the national data came in 2024 (8 births); the name has since faded from the published rankings. In total, more than 90 Gileads have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1990s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Gilead
Phonetically similar names — useful when Gilead 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 Gilead
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About the name Gilead
Gilead is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1992 and has accumulated 90 births in the dataset. Gilead's peak popularity came in 2015 when it ranked #7,066. Use the chart and map above to compare Gilead's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2015 →
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- Top names of 2026 →
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.