Holding steady.
Popularity of Guss since 1880
Babies named Guss per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 1920, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Guss's real moment was 1883.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Boys |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 128 |
| 1890s | 113 |
| 1900s | 118 |
| 1910s | 234 |
| 1920s | 275 |
| 1930s | 110 |
| 1940s | 81 |
| 1950s | 48 |
| 1960s | 24 |
| 1970s | 0 |
| 1980s | 5 |
| 1990s | 0 |
| 2000s | 0 |
| 2010s | 0 |
| 2020s | 0 |
Meaning & origin
Guss is a historic nickname that had its moment in the late 19th century. First recorded in 1880, the name peaked in 1883 as a short form of the more formal Augustus or Gustav. Today it is essentially unused as an independent name, with no recorded births in recent years (latest year 2025 shows no data). The trajectory has remained stable at near-zero usage for decades. While it never reached widespread popularity, it reflects the 1880s fashion for clipped nicknames like Gus and Fred. Its top states were sparsely populated, and it has no notable bearers. Guss remains an obscure historical curiosity for parents interested in vintage nickname names.
Guss originated as a diminutive of Augustus, from Latin 'augustus' meaning 'majestic' or 'venerable'. It was also used as a short form of Gustav, a Scandinavian name of debated origin, possibly from Old Norse 'gautr' (Goth) and 'stafr' (staff). Historically, Guss appeared as an independent nickname in the late 19th century, particularly in the United States, and saw modest usage in the 1880s and 1890s.
Nicknames & variants
Variants: Gus
Sibling names for Guss
Names that share Guss's style, for a brother or sister.
