Gil
Literal root meaning: “pledge + bright, famous”
About the name Gil
Gil is a boy name with Proto-Germanic roots, literally “pledge + bright, famous”. It is related to Gilbert, which is where the meaning comes from.
It has a unique, short & sweet feel. In 2025, Gil ranked #4917 for boys in the US, with 20 babies given the name. Its peak year since 1940 was 1957. Since 2000, 100% of US babies named Gil were boys.
Etymology
A diminutive of Gilbert, which comes from Proto-Germanic, meaning “pledge” + “bright, famous”.
Name meaning adapted from Wiktionary (“Gil”, “Gilbert”) by Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- US rank 2025
- #4917
- In 2015
- #3462
- Babies in 2025
- 20
Popularity of Gil, 1940–2025
Latest SSA data: 2025.
Popularity data: U.S. Social Security Administration national baby names (public domain; names given to at least 5 babies of one sex per year).
Nicknames for Gil
Gil is already short and sweet, so it doesn't usually get a nickname.
Names similar to Gil
Name meanings marked or linked “Wiktionary” are adapted from Wiktionary by Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; each name page links its source entry.