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Gareth as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Gareth

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The baby name Gareth is a Male name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈɡærɛθ/ (GAIR-eth), stress on first syllable.

Gareth is Welsh in Origin.

Gender: Male
Syllables: 2.0
Origin: Welsh
Pronunciation: /ˈɡærɛθ/ (GAIR-eth), stress on first syllable

What is the meaning of the name Gareth ?

The baby name Gareth is a Male name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈɡærɛθ/ (GAIR-eth), stress on first syllable.

Gareth is Welsh in Origin.

Gareth is a Welsh given name with deep Arthurian associations. The form was fixed in Thomas Malory’s 15th-century Le Morte d’Arthur for Sir Gareth, a younger brother of Gawain, and may reflect a Welsh etymon such as gwaredd “gentleness, mildness.” Scholars also note influence from Old French Gaheriet/Gaheris, with Malory regularizing a Brittonic-sounding form. As such, Gareth carries the literary sense of a courteous, capable knight alongside its likely meaning of “gentle.”

Used in Wales since the early modern period but widely revived in the 19th–20th centuries, Gareth became particularly popular in mid-century Britain and remains familiar in the UK, though rarer in North America. Variant spellings include Garreth and, rarely, Garet; related Welsh names include Geraint, and in Arthurian tradition, Gaheris (cognate). Common short forms are Gaz and Gazza. Notable bearers include rugby legend Gareth Edwards and footballer Gareth Bale.

Gareth has the following similar or variant Names

Famous people with the name Gareth

Gareth Gates Musician · Born 1984 · United Kingdom Gareth Gates is an English singer-songwriter and actor best known for finishing as the runner-up on the first series of Pop Idol in 2002. He later had hit songs including “Unchained Melody” and “Anyone of Us (Stupid Mistake).” Gareth David-Lloyd Actor · Born 1981 · United Kingdom Gareth David-Lloyd is a Welsh actor, writer, and singer, best known for playing Ianto Jones in Torchwood. He’s also known for voicing Solas in the Dragon Age games, including Dragon Age: Inquisition.

Celebrity babies named Gareth

Name Last Name(s) Mother Mother famous for Fame Level Father Father famous for Fame Level
Gareth Forwood Glynis Johns television actor ★★★★★

Gareth – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
Ireland Boys 2021 #1 — 762
BW 0 #19 1 960
NA 0 #30 4 2,537
DJ Boys 0 #36 1 657
CY 0 #60 1 1,632
LU 0 #65 2 2,830
AF 0 #76 1 1,883
AL 0 #76 1 2,372
JP 0 #77 1 4,057
MV Boys 0 #79 1 3,375
CN 0 #85 2 3,857
JM 0 #90 4 3,714
TW 0 #103 1 4,523
QA 0 #104 3 7,011
PH 0 #110 1 5,607
OM 0 #119 3 6,215
KW 0 #120 2 5,216
CY Boys 0 #124 8 3,473
IQ 0 #133 1 3,533
MU 0 #137 1 3,613
BN Boys 0 #139 1 6,332
BW Boys 0 #148 7 4,685
MT Boys 0 #149 28 4,064
LT Boys 0 #151 1 2,166
AE 0 #167 11 10,220
ZA 0 #183 283 14,421
AR 0 #193 1 2,915
DK 0 #202 5 5,198
PL 0 #212 1 2,600
LU Boys 0 #217 4 4,970
NA Boys 0 #225 11 6,830
MO Boys 0 #231 4 5,842
JM Boys 0 #234 39 6,876
SG 0 #244 26 11,010
EC Boys 0 #246 1 3,322
GH 0 #248 1 5,396
TW Boys 0 #253 4 7,111
GR Boys 0 #272 2 6,912
NG 0 #272 1 5,926
KZ Boys 0 #294 3 6,578
JP Boys 0 #297 7 7,909
CZ Boys 0 #299 7 6,530
Canada Boys 2024 #300 7 2,588
AL Boys 0 #303 1 5,122
CN Boys 0 #305 15 9,639
SA 0 #312 1 10,560
DK Boys 0 #314 12 7,401
PE 0 #329 1 6,350
HK 0 #333 16 8,483
PL Boys 0 #336 5 6,459
GT 0 #338 1 5,948
MY 0 #348 7 12,352
ZA Boys 0 #354 1,683 25,619
SD Girls 0 #358 1 7,678
GH Boys 0 #360 2 8,138
MU Boys 0 #368 2 8,477
PT Boys 0 #376 6 7,951
France Boys 2021 #384 4 2,865
JO Boys 0 #387 3 7,057
PH Boys 0 #404 5 11,440
SD Boys 0 #426 20 10,523
PH Girls 0 #429 1 13,098
MX 0 #444 2 8,339
HK Boys 0 #447 81 12,905
PA Boys 0 #470 12 9,305
AR Boys 0 #483 1 7,628
GT Boys 0 #491 9 7,625
CR Boys 0 #504 7 10,188
CO 0 #510 1 7,768
PA Girls 0 #518 1 9,861
RU Boys 0 #521 6 12,621
IQ Girls 0 #525 1 11,303
GT Girls 0 #541 1 7,500
BH 0 #543 11 17,937
SG Boys 0 #543 155 17,960
LY 0 #559 1 12,703
CM Girls 0 #560 1 11,671
IR Boys 0 #561 5 10,162
KW Girls 0 #561 1 19,177
PS Boys 0 #561 1 10,655
CM Boys 0 #571 5 12,054
CR Girls 0 #573 1 11,342
BO Boys 0 #580 13 9,244
BD Boys 0 #605 1 10,045
IL Boys 0 #622 4 10,983
SG Girls 0 #631 2 18,916
HK Girls 0 #648 3 16,104
BO Girls 0 #651 1 9,488
IQ Boys 0 #653 15 13,071
Finland Boys 2026 #678 5 3,552
QA Boys 0 #685 23 18,093
LB 0 #687 4 13,263
CL Boys 0 #693 8 13,390
IT 0 #699 16 4,183
KW Boys 0 #760 10 18,755
SY 0 #762 6 11,684
BR Boys 0 #782 4 12,213
TN 0 #807 23 13,765
PE Boys 0 #821 58 14,506
NG Girls 0 #822 5 15,093
United States Boys 2024 #843 50 7,044
EG Boys 0 #854 33 15,035
OM Boys 0 #857 25 17,948
Spain Boys 0 #871 60 5,610
CO Boys 0 #907 14 15,656
NL Boys 0 #909 43 5,873
NG Boys 0 #925 27 16,906
Germany Boys 0 #932 21 5,697
MX Boys 0 #940 43 16,355
PE Girls 0 #1,007 4 14,861
SA Girls 0 #1,010 5 25,931
MY Boys 0 #1,021 91 25,439
IN Boys 0 #1,033 7 16,750
AE Boys 0 #1,037 56 22,615
MA 0 #1,077 52 20,986
ZA Girls 0 #1,131 11 25,928
CO Girls 0 #1,151 2 16,140
DZ 0 #1,158 19 20,130
TR 0 #1,201 11 19,440
MX Girls 0 #1,263 5 17,781
IT Boys 0 #1,432 40 10,046
SA Boys 0 #1,589 26 28,008

Gareth is popular in 73 countries — most recent births per country:

Ireland
Scotland, United Kingdom
Canada
United States
France

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People also ask about Gareth

Gareth is predominantly a boy's name.
Gareth is a 2 syllable name, pronounced /ˈɡærɛθ/ (GAIR-eth), stress on first syllable.
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Garreth.
Yes, very popular — Gareth ranked #1 in Ireland in 2021, and appears in official birth registries across 6 countries.
Gareth ranks highest in Ireland (#1 in 2021).
Gareth's popularity is holding steady. It moved from #1 in 2011 to #1 in 2021 in Ireland.
Yes — 2 notable people named Gareth are in our database, including Gareth Gates (Musician), Gareth David-Lloyd (Actor).
Yes — at least 1 celebrity couple has chosen Gareth for their child, including Glynis Johns.