Gareth is a boy name with a rare feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Gareth means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Gareth across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Gareth has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Gareth is a boy name of Welsh origin meaning “gentle, or spear ruler”. A knight of King Arthur's Round Table.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 4,394 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 2,093 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 1,956 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 388 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 2,464 births |
| New Zealand top 100, since 1954 | 2,087 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Gareth per year, England & Wales (1996 to 2025). England & Wales peaked in 1996 (373/yr) · Ireland peaked in 1980 (282/yr) · Scotland peaked in 1980 (222/yr) · United States peaked in 2016 (104/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 1997 (75/yr).
Gareth is an uncommon baby name in the United States. It was most common in 2016, when it ranked #3,459 nationally (given to 119 babies that year).
Garth · Gertha · Coretha · Kerith · Caretha · Gurtha · Gretha · Grethe
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