UK boy's name
Gaius
A masculine Roman name derived from Latin meaning "rejoicer".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2022. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Gaius is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Gaius popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2022 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4001, with 4 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2010, with 9 births.
This profile covers 61 England and Wales registrations across 13 recorded years from 1996 to 2022. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 44% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 61 living people in the UK are called Gaius. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2023 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Gaius ranked #4001 for boys in England and Wales in 2022, with 4 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2010, when 9 boys were registered as Gaius.
- • About 61 living people in the UK are estimated to have Gaius as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4001
2022
Births in 2022
4
Latest year
Peak year
2010
9 births
Estimated living
61
2026
Meaning
What does Gaius mean?
The name Gaius has its origins in ancient Rome, dating back to the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. It is derived from the Latin word "gaudere," which means "to rejoice" or "to be glad." The name was commonly used among Roman citizens and was frequently found in historical records and inscriptions from the time.
One of the earliest and most notable historical references to the name Gaius is in the writings of the ancient Roman philosopher, statesman, and orator Cicero, who lived from 106 BC to 43 BC. Cicero mentions several individuals named Gaius in his works, including Gaius Cassius Longinus, a Roman politician and one of the assassins of Julius Caesar.
The name Gaius was also prominent in the early Christian era. One of the most famous individuals with this name was Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus, a Roman historian who lived from around 70 AD to 122 AD. He is best known for his work "De Vita Caesarum" (The Lives of the Caesars), a collection of biographies of the first twelve Roman emperors.
Another significant historical figure with the name Gaius was Gaius Plinius Secundus, better known as Pliny the Elder, a Roman author and naturalist who lived from 23 AD to 79 AD. He is renowned for his encyclopedic work "Naturalis Historia" (Natural History), which covered a wide range of subjects, including astronomy, geography, anthropology, and zoology.
In the realm of Roman law, Gaius was the name of a prominent Roman jurist who lived in the 2nd century AD. His work, known as the "Institutiones" (Institutes), was a highly influential legal text that served as a foundation for Roman law and has had a lasting impact on legal systems throughout the world.
Another notable individual with the name Gaius was Gaius Valerius Catullus, a Roman poet who lived from around 84 BC to 54 BC. He is best known for his lyric poems, which were considered among the finest in Latin literature and had a significant influence on later poets.
These are just a few examples of the many notable individuals throughout history who bore the name Gaius, a name with deep roots in ancient Roman culture and a rich historical legacy.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Gaius over time
The chart below shows babies named Gaius registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2022. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Gaius, the clearest high point is 2010. The latest England and Wales figure is 4 births in 2022, compared with 9 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Gaius by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Gaius was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #4466 | 10 | 3 |
| 2010s | #3766 | 20 | 4 |
| 2000s | #2665 | 25 | 4 |
| 1990s | #2903 | 6 | 2 |
Related
Names similar to Gaius
- George 121,258
- Gabriel 20,581
- Grayson 7,636
- Gregory 2,925
- Guy 2,646
- Gareth 2,092
- Gethin 1,880
- Georgie 1,872
- Gary 1,575
- Gavin 1,422
- Giovanni 1,252
- Grant 1,199
FAQ
Gaius: questions and answers
How popular is the name Gaius in the UK right now?
In 2022, Gaius was ranked #4001 for boys in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.
When was Gaius most popular?
The peak year on record was 2010, with 9 babies registered as Gaius in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Gaius?
A masculine Roman name derived from Latin meaning "rejoicer".
How many people are called Gaius in the UK?
A total of 61 babies have been registered as Gaius across the 13 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.