Guy Name: Complete Etymology, Meaning & Popularity Analysis

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Summary

The name Guy has its origins in Old French and is derived from the Germanic 'Wido', meaning wood or forest. It has evolved through historical forms such as Wido and Gui. The name is often seen as strong and friendly and has gained popularity since the Middle Ages, particularly in England. There is no biblical relevance associated with the name, and it has notable variants like Gideon and Guido. Today, it is associated with well-known figures in various fields.

The name Guy is most popular in Hawaii, USA across all generations. It ranks highest as a Boy name among the G.I. Generation generation in the South region. Recent 3-year trends show this Boy name is maintaining steady popularity, while the 25-year trend indicates it has been relatively stable. Recent 3-year trends show this Girl name is maintaining steady popularity, while the 25-year trend indicates it has been relatively stable. From 2020-2022, Guy has been too falling for male in MidWest, falling for male in Northeast, stalled for male in South, stalled for male in West. The long-term 25-year analysis reveals it has been stalled for male in MidWest, stalled for male in Northeast, stalled for male in South, stalled for male in West. Across generations, 'Guy' has shown interesting popularity patterns: Among the G.I. Generation (1901-1927), it ranked 151st out of 7545 names. Among the Silent Generation (1928-1945), it ranked 188th out of 6773 names. Among the Baby Boomers (1946-1964), it ranked 165th out of 7552 names. Among the Generation X (Gen X) (1965-1980), it ranked 267th out of 10718 names. Among the Millennials (Gen Y) (1981-1996), it ranked 541st out of 16616 names. Among the Generation Z (Gen Z or Zoomers) (1997-2012), it ranked 1005th out of 24088 names. Among the Generation Alpha (2013-2024), it ranked 1334th out of 23106 names. Among the G.I. Generation (1901-1927), it ranked 3058th out of 9107 names. Among the Silent Generation (1928-1945), it ranked 3300th out of 9204 names. Among the Baby Boomers (1946-1964), it ranked 5064th out of 12526 names. Among the Generation X (Gen X) (1965-1980), it ranked 10888th out of 19264 names. Among the Millennials (Gen Y) (1981-1996), it ranked 27321st out of 27321 names. Discover how the name 'Guy' has evolved through American history with our comprehensive regional and generational analysis.

Etymology & Cultural Background of "Guy"

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Pronunciation

/ɡaɪ/

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Origin

Old French

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Etymology

The name Guy is derived from the Old French name 'Gui', which itself comes from the Germanic name 'Wido' meaning 'wood' or 'forest'.

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Meaning

wood, forest

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Language Evolution

Wido, Gui, Guy

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Historical Usage

The name gained popularity in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066 and became widely used during the Middle Ages.

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Variants & Derivatives

Gideon, Guido, Gaius

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Modern Popularity & Image

Currently, Guy is perceived as a strong and classic name, often associated with friendliness and approachability.

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Famous People

Guy Fawkes, Guy Ritchie, Guy de Maupassant

Explore More Guy Name Visualizations

Historical Birth Statistics for the Name "Guy"

Note: Years with identical rankings may represent different numbers of births. Data is sourced from Social Security card applications for births in the United States.

Yearly Ranking History of "Guy"

"Guy" Popularity Across American Generations

Generation Gender Rank Total Names
G.I. Generation (1901-1927) Boy 151st of 7545 16,481
Silent Generation (1928-1945) Boy 188th of 6773 13,892
Baby Boomers (1946-1964) Boy 165th of 7552 32,705
Generation X (Gen X) (1965-1980) Boy 267th of 10718 12,795
Millennials (Gen Y) (1981-1996) Boy 541st of 16616 5,018
Generation Z (Gen Z or Zoomers) (1997-2012) Boy 1005th of 24088 2,757
Generation Alpha (2013-2024) Boy 1334th of 23106 1,665
G.I. Generation (1901-1927) Girl 3058th of 9107 159
Silent Generation (1928-1945) Girl 3300th of 9204 139
Baby Boomers (1946-1964) Girl 5064th of 12526 113
Generation X (Gen X) (1965-1980) Girl 10888th of 19264 37
Millennials (Gen Y) (1981-1996) Girl 27321st of 27321 5

Regional Popularity of "Guy" by Generation for Male Names

TOP(%) MidWest Northeast South West
G.I. Generation
(1901-1927)
12.15%
172nd/1416
11.39%
157th/1379
5.33%
126th/2366
15.50%
177th/1142
Silent Generation
(1928-1945)
12.74%
197th/1546
9.64%
150th/1556
7.95%
187th/2353
14.16%
219th/1547
Baby Boomers
(1946-1964)
7.81%
174th/2227
4.98%
121st/2430
7.08%
202nd/2853
5.33%
148th/2775
Generation X (Gen X)
(1965-1980)
8.34%
245th/2937
6.17%
215th/3483
8.90%
313th/3518
6.23%
252nd/4044
Millennials (Gen Y)
(1981-1996)
14.74%
543rd/3685
9.68%
433rd/4475
11.22%
583rd/5194
8.83%
558th/6317
Generation Z (Gen Z or Zoomers)
(1997-2012)
25.67%
1176th/4582
17.95%
927th/5164
15.06%
1101st/7313
13.55%
1011th/7463
Generation Alpha
(2013-2024)
38.45%
1532nd/3984
31.96%
1434th/4487
21.43%
1462nd/6822
20.57%
1291st/6276

Regional Popularity of "Guy" by Generation for Female Names

TOP(%) MidWest Northeast South West
G.I. Generation
(1901-1927)
- - - -
Silent Generation
(1928-1945)
- - - -
Baby Boomers
(1946-1964)
- - - -
Generation X (Gen X)
(1965-1980)
- - - -
Millennials (Gen Y)
(1981-1996)
- - - -
Generation Z (Gen Z or Zoomers)
(1997-2012)
- - - -
Generation Alpha
(2013-2024)
- - - -

State-by-State Popularity of "Guy"

This map shows the relative popularity of "Guy" across states, calculated by dividing the number of births with this name in each state by the total births in that state. This methodology provides a standardized measure of popularity regardless of state population size.