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$Title{Names for Boys:  G}
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Editors of Consumer Guide
Harder, Kelsey}
$Subject{Names Boys G}
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The Ultimate Baby Name Book


Names for Boys:  G


Gahiji             Rwandan "the hunter."  This African warrior's name is
                   sometimes chosen by Black-American parents.

Gaily (see Gaylord)

Galand             Greek "calm"; Old English "gay land."  Galen was a
                   highly respected, second-century Greek physician.
      Variations:  Galen, Gaylon

Galdway (see Galway)

Gale               Old French galant, "courteous, brave, and gallant."  This
                   name came to England at the time of the Norman Invasion
                   and has been popular off and on since then.  In the
                   late-twentieth century, Gale has become very popular,
                   especially as a name for girls.  It is also one of the 100
                   most-popular names for boys, mostly because it is a short
                   name.
     Famous name:  Gale Sayers (football player)

Galen (see Galand)

Gallard (see Gaylord)

Galloway (see Galway)

Galway             Irish galimh, "stony."  Galway Bay, along with the county
                   and city of Galway, is a place that many Irish-Americans
                   remember with nostalgia.  In the seventeenth century,
                   before England conquered Ireland, this port had an
                   extensive trade with Spain.  As a first name, Galway is
                   part of the current fad of Irish names.
     Famous name:  Galway Kinnell (poet)
      Variations:  Galdway, Galloway

Gamaliel           Hebrew "God is my reward."  In the Old Testament, Gamaliel
                   was the son of Pedahzur and prince of Manasseh.  In the New
                   Testament, he was the rabbi who taught Saul of Tarsus (St.
                   Paul).  The name was popular with the Puritans, beginning
                   in the seventeenth century.
     Famous name:  Warren Gamaliel Harding (29th U.S. president)

Gar (see Garret, Garth)

Garald (see Gerald)

Garalt (see Gerald)

Garek (see Edgar)

Garelt (see Gerald)

Garner (see Warner)

Garold (see Gerald, Harold)

Garret             Old English "firm spear."  In the Arthurian legends, this
                   name first appeared as Gareth, the scullion who attempted
                   to conceal his identity as the nephew of King Arthur.  Sir
                   Kay nicknamed him Beaumains because of his large and
                   beautiful hands.  Alfred, Lord Tennyson used the name in
                   his poem "Gareth and Lynette."  It ranks in the middle of
                   the 100 most-often-used boys' names, but it is quickly
                   becoming more popular.
     Famous name:  Garrett A. Hobart (U.S. vice-president)
  Other spelling:  Garrett
       Nicknames:  Gar, Gary
      Variations:  Garreth, Gerry, Jarett

Garreth (see Garret)

Garrett (see Garret)

Garry (see Gary)

Garth              Old Norse garthr, "enclosure"; Old Swedish, gardher; also,
                   Middle English garth, "garden."  This name is becoming
                   steadily more popular in the United States.  It's the name
                   of the character played by actor Martin Mull in the
                   television series Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman.  There is
                   also a Garth in Maxwell Anderson's Winterset.
    Famous names:  Garth Ellis Griffith (railroad executive)
                   Garth Hudson (musician)
        Nickname:  Gar

Gary               Variation on names that begin with Gar-, including
                   Garvin and Garret.  This name is one of the top-ten
                   most-popular names for boys in the United States.  It used
                   to be a nickname and was often used to Americanize such
                   European names as Garibaldi.  Gary is now an independent
                   name that owes much of its current popularity to Gary
                   Cooper, two-time Oscar winner for Sergeant York and High
                   Noon.
    Famous names:  Gary Edmund "the Kid" Carter (baseball catcher)
                   Gary Hart (U.S. senator)
                   Gary Moore (comedian)
  Other spelling:  Garry

Gas (see Casper)

Gaspar (see Casper)

Gaspare (see Casper)

Gauthier (see Walter)

Gautier (see Walter)

Gav (see Gavin)

Gaven (see Gavin)

Gavin              Welsh "little hawk."  Gavin, or Gawain, was the first
                   knight of King Arthur's Round Table.  He is considered to
                   be the most courteous of the knights.  Gawain is also the
                   hero of "Sir Gawayne and the Grene Knight," the finest of
                   the Arthurian romances.  William Faulkner's character,
                   Gavin Stevens, plays an integral but ironic part in several
                   of his novels.  Gavin's nephew, Gowann Stevens, is a young
                   man who becomes drunk and is unable to shield Temple Drake
                   from Popeye.  Both names allude to the knight's exemplary
                   morals.
     Famous name:  Gavin McLeod (actor)
       Nicknames:  Gary, Gav
      Variations:  Gaven, Gawain, Gawayne

Gawain (see Gavin)

Gawayne (see Gavin)

Gay (see Gaylord)

Gayelord (see Gaylord)

Gayler (see Gaylord)

Gaylon (see Galand)

Gaylor (see Gaylord)

Gaylord            Old French gaillard, "gay, lively."  This unusual name is
                   usually chosen by families in which it is traditional.
     Famous name:  Gaylord Jackson Perry (baseball pitcher)
       Nicknames:  Gaily, Gay, Lord
      Variations:  Gallard, Gayelord, Gayler, Gaylor

Gellart (see Gerald)

Gellert (see Gerard)

Gelo (see Angelo)

Gene               Form of Eugene.  Gene began to be thought of as a separate
                   name at the beginning of the twentieth century.  It's now
                   very popular because short names are in vogue.
    Famous names:  Orvon Gene Autry (singer and actor)
                   Gene Kelly (dancer)
                   Gene Tunney (boxer)

Geno (see Eugene)

Geoff (see Jeffrey)

Geoffrey           Old German Guafrid, "peaceful land"; or Walahfrid,
                   "peaceful traveller"; or Gisfrid, "pledge of peace"; also,
                   Middle English Geffrey from Old French Geoffroi and
                   Gueffoi.  Geoffrey has long been a popular name because of
                   its peaceful connotations.  Geoffrey Chaucer, the author of
                   The Canterbury Tales, is the best-known literary Geoffrey.
                   Geoffrey is one of the top-20 names for boys and seems to
                   be getting more popular.
    Famous names:  Jefferson Davis (president of the Confederacy)
                   Geoffrey Horne (actor)
                   David Jefferson Jones (baseball player)
       Nicknames:  Fred, Frey, Jeff
      Variations:  Bogomir (Serbian), Geoffroi, Geoffroy (French), Giotto,
                   Gniewek, Gniewomil, Goddfredo (Portuguese), Godefroy,
                   Godfredo (Spanish), Godfrey, Goffredo (Italian), Gotfrid,
                   Gotfrids (Latvian and Russian), Gotfryd (Polish), Gottfridh
                   (Swedish), Gottfried (German and Hungarian), Jeeves
                   (English), Jeffers, Jefferson, Jeffrey, Jeffry, Jeoffroi

Geoffroi (see Geoffrey, Jeffrey)

Geoffroy (see Geoffrey)

Geordie (see George)

George             Greek georgos, "farmer."  This name dates back to ancient
                   Greece.  Virgil celebrated the pleasures of farming in the
                   Georgics, a poetic treatise on agriculture.  St. George, a
                   Roman military tribune who was martyred at Lydda,
                   Palestine, was the favorite saint of Edward III of England.
                   In 1349, the king dedicated the Order of the Garter to St.
                   George, thereby making him the patron saint of England.
                   George, the duke of Clarence, was the brother of Edward IV
                   and brother to Richard III, who had him murdered.  The
                   name, however, did not move into common use in England
                   until the royal house of Hanover ascended the throne of
                   Great Britain; there have been four kings named George
                   since then.  In the United States, George has been a very
                   popular name since the inauguration of the first president,
                   George Washington.
    Famous names:  George Balanchine (choreographer)
                   Lord George Gordon Byron (poet)
                   George Bush (41st U.S. president)
                   George Cohan (lyricist)
                   George Washington Carver (educator)
                   George Gershwin (composer)
                   Jerzy N. Kosinski (novelist)
                   George Orwell (author)
                   George Herman "Babe" Ruth (baseball great)
                   George Bernard Shaw (playwright)
       Nicknames:  Coco, Egor, Geordie, Georgi, Gorgeous, Jorgy, Jorji,
                   Orito, Yoyi, Yoyo, Yuriy
      Variations:  Dzhordzh (Russian), Georges (French), Georgios (Greek),
                   Goran (Swedish), Guro (Serbian), Gyorgy (Hungarian), Jerzy,
                   Jorge (Portuguese and Spanish), Jurgen (German), Wojciech
                   (Polish), Yure (Ukrainian)

Georges (see George)

Georgi (see George)

Georgios (see George)

Ger (see Gerald)

Gerald             Old German Gairovald, "spear ruler," from ger [spear] +
                   vald [rule].  This name existed in England before the
                   Norman Conquest.  In the eighth century, St. Gerald
                   founded monasteries and a convent.  His day is March 13.
                   Now, it's one of the 50 most-popular names, but the use of
                   Gerald seems to be declining, even though, its nickname
                   Jerry is a current favorite.
     Famous name:  Gerald Rudolf Ford, Jr. (38th U.S. president)
       Nicknames:  Ger, Gerry, Jer, Jerry
      Variations:  Garald, Garalt, Garelt, Garold (English), Gellart,
                   Geralde, Geraldo (Portuguese, Italian, and Spanish),
                   Geraldos (Greek), Gerard (French), Geraud, Gerhard
                   (Hungarian), Gerhards (Latvian), Gerold (German), Giraud,
                   Girauld, Kharald (Russian)

Geralde (see Gerald)

Geraldo (see Gerald, Gerard)

Geraldos (see Gerald)

Gerard             Old German Gairhard, "spear strong," from ger [spear] +
                   hard [strong].  This name arrived in England with the
                   Norman Conquest.  Seven saints have been named Gerard, and
                   three other Gerards have been blessed but not canonized.
                   In the historical novel The Cloister and the Hearth by
                   Charles Reade, the love story of Gerard, who is Erasmus's
                   father, plays an important part in the plot.  Brigadier
                   Gerald is the swashbuckling hero in the stories about the
                   Napoleonic Wars written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
     Famous name:  Gerard Manley Hopkins (poet)
       Nicknames:  Jerry, Gerry
      Variations:  Gellert (Hungarian), Gerald, Geraldo (Portuguese, Italian,
                   and Spanish), Gerek (Polish), Gerhard (German and Swedish)

Geraud (see Gerald)

Gerek (see Gerard)

Geremia (see Jeremy)

Gergie (see Fergus)

Gerhard (see Gerald, Gerard)

Gerhards (see Gerald)

Gerold (see Gerald)

Gerome (see Jerome)

Geromino (see Jerome)

Geromo (see Jerome)

Geronimo (see Jerome)

Gerrie (see Jerry)

Gerry              Form of Garret, Gerald, Gerard, or Jerome; also, a
                   variation of Jerry.  Gerry sometimes appears as a separate
                   name.  Along with Jerry, it's one of the top-30 names for
                   boys.

Gertie (see Rudgerd)

Geyo (see Roger)

Giacobo (see Jacob)

Giacomo (see Jacob, James)

Giacopo (see Jacob)

Gian (see John)

Giannes (see John)

Gianni (see John)

Giannini (see John)

Gide (see Giles)

Giermo (see William)

Gigo (see Roderick)

Gil (see Giles)

Giles              Greek aigidion, "kid (young goat)," which became Latin
                   Aegidius and French Gide; also, associated with aegis,
                   "shield of God."  St. Giles, a seventh-century Greek monk,
                   left his homeland to avoid the publicity that his miracles
                   had caused and went to France where he became a hermit.
                   His asceticism won him renown there as well, and he
                   performed a miracle for Charlemagne.  He is the patron
                   saint of cripples and beggars (having been both), and also
                   of Edinburgh, Scotland.  In England, more than 100 churches
                   were named for him.  His day is February 16.  John Barth
                   used the name in his novel, Giles Goat-Boy.  The title is a
                   pun on the meaning of the name.  Paul Guillaume, a French
                   twentieth-century novelist, is better known as Andre Gide.
     Famous name:  Giles Fletcher (writer)
      Variations:  Egidio (Italian), Egidius (German), Gide (French), Gil
                   (Portuguese and Spanish), Gill (English), Gillette,
                   Gilliam, Gillis

Gill (see Giles)

Gillette (see Giles)

Gilliam (see Giles)

Gillian (see Julian)

Gillis (see Giles)

Giosia (see Josiah)

Giosue (see Joshua)

Giotto (see Geoffrey, Jeffrey)

Giovanni (see John)

Giraud (see Gerald)

Girauld (see Gerald)

Girolamo (see Jerome)

Giuda (see Judah)

Giuliano (see Julian)

Giulio (see Julian)

Giuseppe (see Joseph)

Giustino (see Justin)

Giusto (see Justin)

Glen               Celtic gleann, "wooded valley, dale, glen."  This place
                   name became a popular given name in the nineteenth century,
                   because Sir Walter Scott used it often in his novels,
                   especially in The Monastery, which chronicles the
                   Glendenning family.  The name fits the current fashion of
                   short names, and it's now one of the 20 most-popular names
                   for boys.
    Famous names:  Glenn Ford (actor)
                   Glenn Gould (pianist)
  Other spelling:  Glenn
        Nickname:  Glenny
      Variations:  Glyn, Glynne (English), Gwyllyn (Welsh)

Glenn (see Glen)

Glenny (see Glen)

Glyn, Glynne (see Glen)

Gniewek (see Geoffrey)

Gniewomil (see Geoffrey)

Goddfredo (see Geoffrey)

Godefroy (see Geoffrey)

Godfredo (see Geoffrey)

Godfrey            Variation of Geoffrey and Jeffrey.  Before the Middle
                   Ages, Godfrey and Geoffrey were separate names, and they
                   can still be thought of in this way.  But the names have
                   become so confused that it is difficult to separate them.
                   Godfrey ranks near the bottom of the 100 names most-often
                   chosen by parents in the United States, perhaps because the
                   word "God" is part of the name and Americans shy away from
                   using names with strong religious connotations.
     Famous name:  Godfrey Cambridge (comedian)

Goffredo (see Geoffrey, Jeffrey)

Gofredo (see Jeffrey)

Gollo (see Gregory)

Gome (see Gomer)

Gomer              Hebrew "to complete"; also a form of Montgomery.  In
                   the Bible, Gomer was the son of Japheth.  The name is
                   seldom used today.
        Nickname:  Gome

Gonzaleo (see Gonzales)

Gonzales           Spanish "fight" or "battle."  There are two saints with
                   this name.  St. John Gonzalez de Castrillo was famous for
                   his miracles and had a gift for reading men's souls.  His
                   day is June 12.  St. Roque Gonzalez preached to the Indians
                   of Paraguay.  He opposed Spanish imperialism and was
                   persecuted for his beliefs.  He was beatified in 1934, the
                   first martyr in the Americas to be honored.  His day is
                   November 17.
     Famous name:  Ambrose Gonzales Hampton (newspaper executive)
        Nickname:  Chalo, Gonzi
      Variations:  Gonzaleo, Gonzalez, Gonzoyo

Gonzalez (see Gonzales)

Gonzi (see Gonzales)

Gonzoyo (see Gonzales)

Goran (see George)

Gordie, Gordy (see Gordon)

Gordius (see Gordon)

Gordon             Uncertain origin, but may come from a French place name
                   Gourdon; or, less likely, Scottish "hill of marshes" from
                   gor [marsh] + denn [hill].  Gordon became a popular given
                   name in England in the last century because of the exploits
                   of Charles George Gordon, a general and adventurer, known
                   as "Chinese Gordon" and "Gordon Pasha."  He was killed at
                   Khartum on January 26, 1885, by the Mahdi fighters who
                   stormed the city.  Gordon's Gin is named after him.  Gordon
                   is a Scottish clan name, its members are renowned for their
                   military abilities, which are usually proved by their
                   leading English soldiers into battle.
     Famous name:  Gordon MacRae (actor)
       Nicknames:  Gordie, Gordy
      Variations:  Gordius, Gorrell (English), Gorton

Gorgeous (see George)

Gorrell (see Gordon)

Gorton (see Gordon)

Gotfrid, Gotfryd (see Geoffrey)

Gotfrids (see Geoffrey)

Gottfridh (see Geoffrey)

Gottfried (see Geoffrey, Jeffrey)

Govert (see Jeffrey)

Goyitico (see Gregory)

Goyo (see Gregory)

Grade (see Grady)

Grady              Latin gradus, "incline"; also, possibly Irish gradda,
                   "noble" or "illustrious."  This name is used in the
                   southern part of the United States, especially among
                   people with Scottish or Irish ancestors.
        Nickname:  Grade

Graeme (see Graham)

Graham             Old English Grantham from granta [gravel] + ham [home] or
                   [village].  Graham has recently become a popular name and
                   now ranks in the top-50 favorite names.  Despite its
                   origin, the name is considered now to be Scottish, and it's
                   the name of a major clan.  The name has also migrated to
                   Ireland, where it is a variation of Gormely, Grehan, and
                   Grahan.  Graham crackers were named after Sylvester Graham,
                   an American physician.
    Famous names:  Alexander Graham Bell (inventor)
                   Graham Greene (novelist)
      Variations:  Graeme, Gram, Grimes

Gram (see Graham)

Grant              French grante, "to agree."  Grant has become suddenly
                   popular as a given name, and it's now one of the top-50
                   boys' names.  The name came to England with the Norman
                   Conquest.  In the nineteenth century, it became popular in
                   the United States when parents began to name their baby
                   sons in honor of Ulysses S. Grant, commander of the Union
                   Army and president of the United States.
    Famous names:  Grant Wood (painter)
                   Grantland Rice (sportswriter)
      Variations:  Grantland, Grantley, LeGrand

Grantland (see Grant)

Grantley (see Grant)

Greg               Form of Gregory.  Greg is one of the top-ten names for
                   boys.  Like other short names, it is currently very
                   popular.
     Famous name:  Greg Morris (actor)

Gregiore (see Gregory)

Gregor (see Gregory)

Gregory            Greek gregorios, "watchful."  Sixteen popes and many saints
                   have been named Gregory, assuring the popularity of the
                   name among Roman Catholics.  Gregory I was pope for
                   fourteen years in the sixth century; he was instrumental
                   in converting many Europeans to the Christian faith.
                   Before he became pope, he had planned to go to the British
                   Isles, but he was kept in Rome by Pope Pelagius II who
                   needed Gregory as an administrator.  When Gregory became
                   pope, he sent Augustine and forty monks to England, and in
                   597, Athelbert and 10,000 of his subjects were baptized.
                   In 1582, Pope Gregory the Great established the Gregorian
                   calendar, which we now use.
     Famous name:  Gregory Peck (actor)
       Nicknames:  Gollo, Goyitico, Goyo, Greg
      Variations:  Gregiore (French), Gregor (Czech, German, and Norwegian),
                   Grigorov (Bulgarian)

Griff (see Rufus)

Griffin (see Rufus)

Griffith (see Rufus)

Grigorov (see Gregory)

Grimes (see Graham)

Gro (see Grover)

Grove (see Grover)

Grover             Old English "tree grower" or "one who lives by a grove."
                   President Grover Cleveland made this name as popular as it
                   has ever been, but now it is only used by families in which
                   the name is traditional.  A blue muppet named Grover, who
                   has been a member of the cast of Sesame Street for more
                   than 20 years, has made parents fondly aware of the name
                   even if they don't choose to use it for their babies.
    Famous names:  Stephen Grover Cleveland (22nd and 24th U.S. president)
                   Grover Cleveland "Pete" Alexander (baseball pitcher)
       Nicknames:  Gro, Grove

Gualterio (see Walter)

Gualtiero (see Walter)

Guayo (see Edward)

Gugielmo (see William)

Guglielmo (see William)

Guillaume (see William)

Guillermo (see William)

Guillo (see William)

Guirmo (see William)

Guittiere (see Walter)

Gulianno (see Julian)

Gullermo (see William)

Gun (see Gunnar)

Gunderson (see Gunnar)

Gundlach (see Gunnar)

Gundrum (see Gunnar)

Gunn (see Gunnar)

Gunnar             Old Norse gunnarr, "war."  In the Germanic saga the
                   Nibelungenlied, Gunnar is Brunhild's husband and
                   Kriemhild's brother.  The name is popular in the United
                   States among Scandinavian-Americans.
     Famous name:  Gunnar Hansen (actor)
       Nicknames:  Gun, Gunny
      Variations:  Gunderson, Gundlach, Gundrum, Gunn, Gunner, Gunnerson,
                   Gunning, Gunter, Gunther

Gunner (see Gunnar)

Gunnerson (see Gunnar)

Gunning (see Gunnar)

Gunny (see Gunnar)

Gunter (see Gunnar)

Gunther (see Gunnar)

Gurmo (see William)

Guro (see George)

Gus                Form of Augustus or Gustave.  Some parents choose this
                   name without reference to the longer names, but it is
                   fairly unusual.
     Famous name:  August Rodney "Gus" "Blackie" Mancuso (baseball catcher)
        Nickname:  Gussy

Gusas (see Gustave)

Gussy (see Augustus, Gus, Gustave)

Gust (see Gustave)

Gustacio (see Gustave)

Gustaf (see Gustave)

Gustav (see Gustave)

Gustave            Old German Chustaffus from chuton [to think] + staf
                   [staff]; also, German "staff of the Goths."  This
                   Scandinavian name became popular during the reign of
                   Gustavus Adolphus (Gustaf II) of Sweden.  He inherited
                   wars with Poland, Germany, and Denmark when he ascended
                   the throne in 1611.
    Famous names:  Gustave Flaubert (novelist)
                   Gustav Mahler (composer)
       Nicknames:  Gus, Gussy, Gust, Guti, Tabo, Tavito, Tavo
      Variations:  Aku (Finnish), Constantantinos (Greek), Gusas (Latvian),
                   Gustacio, Gustaf (Swedish), Gustav (Estonian, Rumanian,
                   German, and Slovakian), Gustavo (Italian and Spanish),
                   Gustavus, Gusti (Czech), Gustovo (Spanish), Kustas
                   (Estonian)

Gustavo (see Gustave)

Gustavus (see Gustave)

Gusti (see Gustave)

Gustin (see Justin)

Gustino (see Justin)

Gusto (see Justin)

Gustosia (see Justin)

Gustovo (see Gustave)

Guti (see Gustave)

Guy                Old German wido, "guide"; also, French guy and guyon.
                   The name Guy came to England during the time of the Norman
                   Conquest and was in common use until Guy Fawkes decided to
                   kill King James I and members of the Parliament by blowing
                   up the Parliament building.  He and his co-conspirators
                   managed to fill a cellar with gunpowder, but before
                   anything blew up, they were caught and executed.  The
                   event is known as the Gunpowder Plot, and Guy Fawkes Day
                   is still celebrated in England.  Up until that time, Guy
                   had been a good name.
     Famous name:  Guy de Maupassant (short-story writer)

Gwyllyn (see Glen)

Gyorgy (see George)