Holding steady, #6,803 for boys today.
Popularity of Giles since 1880
Babies named Giles per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 1918, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Giles's real moment was 1881.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Boys |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 153 |
| 1890s | 93 |
| 1900s | 103 |
| 1910s | 508 |
| 1920s | 685 |
| 1930s | 595 |
| 1940s | 476 |
| 1950s | 490 |
| 1960s | 343 |
| 1970s | 280 |
| 1980s | 257 |
| 1990s | 243 |
| 2000s | 210 |
| 2010s | 207 |
| 2020s | 89 |
Meaning & origin
Giles is a name of Greek origin that has been in use in England since the Middle Ages, brought by the Normans. Despite a long history, it has never been a common name in the United States. The earliest recorded use in the Social Security data is 1880, and its peak popularity came the following year in 1881. Since then, the name has seen very low usage, with the trajectory described as stable but infrequent. In the most recent year, only about 1 in every 142,340 babies was named Giles, placing it at rank 6,803. The name has not appeared in any top states, indicating its rarity across the country. Giles remains a distinctive choice with a saintly heritage.
Giles derives from the Greek name Aegidius, meaning 'shield bearer' or 'young goat' (from aigis, 'goat's skin shield'). The name was borne by a 7th-century hermit saint from Athens who became the patron saint of cripples and blacksmiths. It was introduced to England by the Normans and was common in the Middle Ages, though it later fell out of fashion. In modern times, it remains in occasional use, especially in the United Kingdom.
Nicknames & variants
Variants: Gyles
Sibling names for Giles
Names that share Giles's style, for a brother or sister.
