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Gavin as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Gavin

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The baby name Gavin is a Male name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced GAV-in (ˈɡævɪn).

Gavin is Scottish in Origin.

Gender: Male
Syllables: 2.0
Origin: Scottish
Pronunciation: GAV-in (ˈɡævɪn)

What is the meaning of the name Gavin ?

The baby name Gavin is a Male name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced GAV-in (ˈɡævɪn).

Gavin is Scottish in Origin.

Gavin is the medieval Scots and English form of Gawain, ultimately linked to the Welsh name Gwalchmai (“hawk of May”) and sometimes explained as Gwalchgwyn (“white hawk”). The Arthurian hero Sir Gawain popularized the name across Britain, giving it a courteous, valiant aura in Middle English literature, notably in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.

Usage endured longer in Scotland than in England, where it faded after the Middle Ages, before a broad revival in the 20th century and a marked rise in the United States during the 1990s–2000s. Variants and cognates include Gawain, Gawen, Gavan, Gaven, Gavyn, Gauvain (French), Galván (Spanish), Galvão (Portuguese), and Galvano (Italian); a rare feminine form is Gavina. The core meaning evokes the swift, keen “hawk,” with seasonal or color nuances depending on the Welsh etymology.

Gavin has the following similar or variant Names

Famous people with the name Gavin

Gavin Newsom Politician · Born 1967 · United States Gavin Newsom is best known as the governor of California, a role he has held since 2019. Before that, the Democratic politician and businessman served as California’s lieutenant governor from 2011 to 2019 and as mayor of San Francisco from 2004 to 2011. Gavin McInnes Actor · Born 1970 · Canada Gavin McInnes is best known as the founder of the Proud Boys, and he is also a Canadian writer, podcaster, and far-right commentator. He hosts Get Off My Lawn with Gavin McInnes on his website, Compound Censored. Gavin Hood Actor · Born 1963 · South Africa Gavin Hood is a South African filmmaker and actor best known for writing and directing Tsotsi, which won the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film. He also directed X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Ender's Game, Eye in the Sky, and Official Secrets.
Gavin Rossdale Actor|musician · Born 1965 · United Kingdom Gavin Rossdale is best known as the lead singer and rhythm guitarist of the rock band Bush. The English musician helped form Bush in 1992, and the band became known for songs like "Glycerine," "Comedown," and "Machinehead." Gavin MacLeod Actor · Born 1931 · United States Gavin MacLeod was an American actor best known for playing Murray Slaughter on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Captain Merrill Stubing on The Love Boat. Born Allan George See, he later became an evangelical Christian in 1984 after growing up Catholic. Gavin DeGraw Musician · Born 1977 · United States Gavin DeGraw is an American singer-songwriter best known for his hit song "I Don't Want to Be," which became the theme for One Tree Hill. He rose to fame with his 2003 debut album Chariot and is also known for songs like "Chariot" and "Not Over You."

Gavin – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
Ireland Boys 2025 #1 836
FJ Boys 0 #17 1 603
BW 0 #19 1 960
NA 0 #26 8 2,537
BN 0 #31 2 2,297
MT 0 #43 1 1,767
MO 0 #52 1 2,706
JM 0 #58 30 3,714
CN 0 #62 24 3,857
LU 0 #65 2 2,830
JP 0 #73 5 4,057
MV Boys 0 #79 1 3,375
SI 0 #80 1 1,612
CN Boys 0 #87 368 9,639
TW 0 #90 11 4,523
QA 0 #103 4 7,011
JM Boys 0 #105 241 6,876
ZA 0 #110 428 14,421
OM 0 #117 5 6,215
KW 0 #121 1 5,216
EE Boys 0 #125 1 2,087
CY Boys 0 #126 6 3,473
AZ Boys 0 #131 1 1,400
MU 0 #134 4 3,613
ID Boys 0 #135 1 4,130
BN Boys 0 #136 4 6,332
Canada Boys 2024 #139 198 2,588
LT Boys 0 #151 1 2,166
BW Boys 0 #152 3 4,685
RS Boys 0 #154 1 2,277
TW Boys 0 #154 93 7,111
AE 0 #164 14 10,220
CR 0 #164 2 5,526
MT Boys 0 #173 7 4,064
MO Boys 0 #176 48 5,842
PR Boys 0 #178 1 2,508
Sweden Boys 2022 #181 2 1,509
SG 0 #184 86 11,010
ZA Boys 0 #184 3,546 25,619
NA Boys 0 #186 50 6,830
RU 0 #194 1 3,641
DK 0 #205 2 5,198
PL 0 #211 2 2,600
LU Boys 0 #219 2 4,970
PS 0 #226 1 5,692
United States Boys 2024 #237 1,380 7,044
EC Boys 0 #246 1 3,322
GH 0 #246 3 5,396
AO Boys 0 #249 1 5,568
HK Boys 0 #249 429 12,905
PT 0 #250 1 4,161
HR Boys 0 #259 1 3,997
MO Girls 0 #263 1 7,056
GR Boys 0 #272 2 6,912
NG 0 #272 1 5,926
JM Girls 0 #277 2 7,507
MY 0 #278 53 12,352
IL 0 #282 1 6,291
HK 0 #283 66 8,483
JP Boys 0 #285 13 7,909
TW Girls 0 #289 1 8,139
MU Boys 0 #297 61 8,477
CZ Boys 0 #302 4 6,530
SA 0 #308 5 10,560
SG Boys 0 #314 488 17,960
DK Boys 0 #315 11 7,401
PL Boys 0 #338 3 6,459
PH Boys 0 #357 27 11,440
GH Boys 0 #359 3 8,138
PT Boys 0 #376 6 7,951
NL 0 #378 14 2,481
France Boys 2021 #380 8 2,865
JO Boys 0 #389 1 7,057
YE 0 #398 1 8,639
UY Boys 0 #413 1 5,922
PH Girls 0 #427 3 13,098
Germany 0 #428 10 2,542
CL 0 #434 1 6,867
CR Boys 0 #446 42 10,188
AR Boys 0 #483 1 7,628
GT Boys 0 #499 1 7,625
PA Boys 0 #502 4 9,305
RU Boys 0 #524 3 12,621
BH 0 #540 14 17,937
PS Boys 0 #555 7 10,655
IR Boys 0 #559 7 10,162
LY 0 #559 1 12,703
KW Girls 0 #561 1 19,177
CM Boys 0 #569 7 12,054
AE Girls 0 #597 1 20,968
BD Boys 0 #605 1 10,045
IL Boys 0 #618 8 10,983
BO Boys 0 #621 2 9,244
SG Girls 0 #630 3 18,916
HK Girls 0 #645 6 16,104
Finland Boys 2026 #667 16 3,552
QA Boys 0 #677 31 18,093
MY Boys 0 #683 469 25,439
LB 0 #687 4 13,263
IQ Boys 0 #693 5 13,071
CL Boys 0 #694 7 13,390
IT 0 #700 15 4,183
KW Boys 0 #746 24 18,755
SY 0 #767 1 11,684
NL Boys 0 #775 177 5,873
BR Boys 0 #784 2 12,213
NG Girls 0 #824 3 15,093
OM Boys 0 #833 49 17,948
TN 0 #863 3 13,765
Spain Boys 0 #880 51 5,610
Germany Boys 0 #887 66 5,697
NG Boys 0 #900 52 16,906
United States Girls 2023 #906 9 8,600
EG Boys 0 #917 9 15,035
PE Boys 0 #920 7 14,506
IN Boys 0 #991 11 16,750
AE Boys 0 #1,001 92 22,615
PE Girls 0 #1,010 1 14,861
SA Girls 0 #1,013 2 25,931
MX Boys 0 #1,026 8 16,355
MY Girls 0 #1,071 2 24,821
ZA Girls 0 #1,119 23 25,928
MA 0 #1,197 3 20,986
DZ 0 #1,234 1 20,130
TR 0 #1,248 7 19,440
MX Girls 0 #1,266 2 17,781
IT Boys 0 #1,399 73 10,046
SA Boys 0 #1,582 33 28,008

Gavin is popular in 79 countries — most recent births per country:

Ireland
Scotland, United Kingdom
France
Canada
United States

Did we miss something about this name? Let us know!

People also ask about Gavin

Gavin is predominantly a boy's name.
Gavin is a 2 syllable name, pronounced GAV-in (ˈɡævɪn).
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Gavyn, Gaven, Gavan, Gawain and Gav.
Across languages, Gavin has these equivalents: Gawain (medieval Welsh/Arthurian), Gwalchgwyn (Old Welsh elements meaning 'white hawk'), Gawen (archaic form).
Yes, very popular — Gavin ranked #1 in Ireland in 2025, and appears in official birth registries across 7 countries.
Gavin ranks highest in Ireland (#1 in 2025).
Gavin's popularity is holding steady. It moved from #1 in 2015 to #1 in 2025 in Ireland.
Yes — 8 notable people named Gavin are in our database, including Gavin Newsom (Politician), Gavin McInnes (Actor), Gavin Hood (Actor).