Gilles
A male given name from French.
Every Gilles since 1923 — 359 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Gilles
Gilles is not currently in use for newborns in the United States — fewer than five babies received the name in 2025. Its story lives in the historical record below.
Since 1923, 359 American babies have been named Gilles. Its peak came in 1928, when 13 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 1920s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Gilles stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Gilles year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | — | — |
| 2024 | — | — |
| 2023 | — | — |
| 2022 | — | — |
| 2021 | — | — |
| 2020 | — | — |
| 2019 | — | — |
| 2018 | — | — |
| 2017 | — | — |
| 2016 | — | — |
| 2015 | — | — |
| 2014 | — | — |
| 2013 | — | — |
| 2012 | — | — |
| 2011 | — | — |
| 2010 | — | — |
| 2009 | — | — |
| 2008 | — | — |
| 2007 | — | — |
| 2006 | — | — |
| 2005 | — | — |
| 2004 | — | — |
| 2003 | — | — |
| 2002 | — | — |
| 2001 | 6 | #9,685 |
| 2000 | — | — |
| 1995 | — | — |
| 1990 | — | — |
| 1985 | 5 | #6,911 |
| 1980 | — | — |
| 1975 | 6 | #5,028 |
| 1970 | 5 | #4,991 |
| 1965 | — | — |
| 1960 | 5 | #4,258 |
| 1955 | 10 | #2,650 |
| 1950 | 5 | #3,883 |
| 1945 | 7 | #2,847 |
| 1940 | 5 | #3,649 |
| 1935 | 10 | #2,442 |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1925 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1915 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1905 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1895 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1885 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
Famous people named Gilles
- Gilles Deleuze Philosopher · 1925–1995
- Gilles de Rais Extremist · 1405–1440
- Gilles Villeneuve Racing driver · 1950–1982
- Gilles Binchois Composer · 1400–1460
- Gilles de Roberval Mathematician · 1602–1675
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Gilles mean?
A male given name from French.
How popular is the name Gilles in 2025?
Gilles did not appear in the 2025 Social Security data, which means fewer than five babies received the name that year.
How many people are named Gilles?
359 babies have been named Gilles in the United States since 1923, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Gilles most popular?
Gilles peaked in 1928, when 13 newborns received the name.
Is Gilles a boy or girl name?
Gilles is overwhelmingly a boy's name — 100% of babies with the name.
Is the name Gilles rising or falling?
Gilles has been roughly stable over the past decade.
Who are famous people named Gilles?
Well-known people named Gilles include Gilles Deleuze (philosopher), Gilles de Rais (extremist), Gilles Villeneuve (racing driver).