Gustave is a French masculine given name. It originated from the Germanic element "Guth" which means "strong". The name became popular in France during the Middle Ages and has been used consistently since then.
The name Gustave was brought to prominence by two notable figures: French author Gustave Flaubert, known for his novel "Madame Bovary", and Swedish statesman Gustaf Vasa, who led a revolt against Denmark and became king of Sweden in 1523. These historical figures contributed to the enduring popularity of the name.
Gustave has several variant forms, including Gustave-Adolphe, Gustave-Henri, and Gustave-Jean. It also has numerous diminutives such as Gus, Guste, and Gusy.
In French-speaking countries, Gustave is considered a traditional and classic name. It has consistently ranked among the top 100 most popular boy names in France over the past century. Despite its popularity, Gustave remains relatively uncommon outside of francophone regions.
Overall, Gustave is a strong, historic, and culturally significant masculine given name with roots dating back to ancient Germanic times. Its enduring popularity in France and other French-speaking areas attests to its timeless appeal.
The name Gustave experienced significant popularity fluctuations over time. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, there were peaks in popularity with over 100 births per year occurring between 1912 and 1923. However, from the mid-20th century onwards, the name's popularity declined steadily, reaching single-digit figures after the 1960s. Since the late 20th century, Gustave has become quite rare, with fewer than 15 births per year on average. Overall, a total of 5406 babies were named Gustave between 1880 and 2022.