Giles
Giles or Gyles is a masculine given name. It is the Medieval English form of the name of the French hermit Saint Giles, which itself is the Old French form of the Latin name Aegidius. The modern French forms are Gilles and the less common Égide. Some languages have their own variations of the name, for example Tilen in Slovene.
- English
Meaning & Origin of Giles
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Giles or Gyles is a masculine given name. It is the Medieval English form of the name of the French hermit Saint Giles, which itself is the Old French form of the Latin name Aegidius. The modern French forms are Gilles and the less common Égide. Some languages have their own variations of the name, for example Tilen in Slovene.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
The Story of Giles
Giles first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1880, with 18 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1918, when 86 Giless were born — ranking #667 that year. As of 2026, Giles ranks #5,669 for baby boys with 16 births, falling sharply (-23%). In total, more than 5K Giless have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Giles
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Giles. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Names that sound like Giles
Phonetically similar names — useful when Giles 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 Giles
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About the name Giles
Giles is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 5K births in the dataset. Giles's peak popularity came in 1918 when it ranked #360. Use the chart and map above to compare Giles's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1918 →
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- Names starting with "G" →
- Browse all boy names →
- 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.