Declining since 2001, #1,421 for boys today.
Popularity of Gonzalo since 1902
Babies named Gonzalo per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Boys |
|---|---|
| 1900s | 10 |
| 1910s | 125 |
| 1920s | 408 |
| 1930s | 441 |
| 1940s | 433 |
| 1950s | 585 |
| 1960s | 663 |
| 1970s | 918 |
| 1980s | 1,298 |
| 1990s | 1,876 |
| 2000s | 2,091 |
| 2010s | 1,412 |
| 2020s | 750 |
Meaning & origin
Gonzalo is a name with deep roots in the Iberian Peninsula, derived from the Germanic Gundisalvus and borne by saints and nobility. In the United States, the name has seen modest use, first recorded in 1902. Its peak year was 2000, when it ranked higher than it does today. Since then, it has been on a gradual decline, falling to rank 1421 by 2025, with about 1 in 13,449 boys receiving the name. The name is most common in states with large Hispanic populations, such as Arizona, California, and Texas. Gonzalo remains a familiar yet distinctive choice, maintaining a connection to its medieval heritage while reflecting the cultural diversity of the modern Spanish-speaking world.
Gonzalo is a Spanish and Portuguese form of the Germanic name Gundisalvus, composed of elements 'gund' meaning 'war' or 'battle' and 'salv' possibly meaning 'hall' or 'elf'. The name was common among medieval Spanish nobility, particularly in Galicia and Portugal. Saint Gonzalo of Amarante, a 13th-century Portuguese Dominican friar, helped popularize the name. Its use spread through the Spanish-speaking world, and it remains especially common in Latin America.
Where Gonzalo is most popular
Births per 100,000 boys by state. Press play or drag the slider to watch it move across the decades. The lightest shade means too few recorded births.
“Gonzalo” around the world
Where Gonzalo lands in the latest official birth statistics abroad, matched to the U.S. spelling.
France
5
babies in 2024
Sources: INSEE (France).
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Gonza, Gonz, Zalo, Gon
Variants: Gonçalo, Gonzalez
Sibling names for Gonzalo
Names that share Gonzalo's style, for a brother or sister.
