How Many People Are Named Gaelen?
An estimated 169 people in the United States have the first name Gaelen. It is used for both genders, with 89.7% male. The average bearer is 32 years old, and Gaelen peaked in popularity in 1996 with 14 births that year.
Below you will find a full statistical profile of Gaelen as a first name in the United States, including gender data, a year-by-year popularity timeline going back to 1880, a decade breakdown, state-by-state birth registrations, and, when available, a 2020 Census snapshot showing who had the name at that point in time. You can also check how many people share the full name Gaelen paired with any surname.
Estimated Living Americans
169
About 1 in 2,028,132 people in the U.S.
Rarity
Very Rare
Predicted Gender
Male
89.7% confidence
Average Age
32
years old
Peak Year
1996
14 births
Total Registered
174
since 1880
Gender Distribution for Gaelen
Gaelen is predominantly male (89.7%), though 18 female births have been registered. It functions as a unisex name for a small percentage of bearers.
Gaelen as a male name
Ranked #10,227 in 2008
7 male births in 2008
Peak: 1996 (14 births)
Gaelen as a female name
Ranked #18,075 in 2006
5 female births in 2006
Peak: 1997 (7 births)
Gaelen in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 310 people with the first name Gaelen, which placed it at #28,814 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The estimated living count elsewhere on this page is different: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two figures are not expected to match exactly.
Read this section as a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The SSA charts elsewhere on this page are still the better way to see how the name rose, fell, or shifted across generations.
Gender in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, Gaelen was recorded as predominantly male. Out of 310 people with this name in that snapshot, 69.0% were male and 31.0% were female. That is less heavily male than the long-run SSA birth pattern on this page, which sits at 89.7% male.
Census Count
310
people with this name
Census Rank
#28,814
among Census first names
Frequency Rate
0.10
per 100,000 people
Recorded Race and Hispanic Origin in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, the first name Gaelen was most commonly recorded among people who identified as White (75.40%). The next largest recorded groups were Black (8.31%) and Two or More Races (7.99%).
These percentages describe the people who had the first name Gaelen in the 2020 Census. They do not tell you the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.
2020 Census demographic breakdown
Each row shows a recorded Census category for people with the first name Gaelen.
| Group | Share | Count |
|---|---|---|
| White | 75.40% | 236 |
| Black | 8.31% | 26 |
| Two or More Races | 7.99% | 25 |
| Hispanic | 6.71% | 21 |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 1.60% | 5 |
The Census published separate sex and race/origin tables for first names, so their total counts can differ slightly for the same name. That is why the race section focuses on the demographic mix rather than repeating a second headline count.
Gaelen: Popularity Over Time
SSA records for Gaelen span from the 1960s to the 2000s, covering 4 decades of naming data. The most popular decade for this name was the 1990s, when 84 babies were registered. While Gaelen is less common than at its peak in the 1990s, it remains a well-established name with steady registrations.
Gaelen by Decade
How has Gaelen tracked across different eras? The table below groups all SSA birth registrations into 10-year periods, with separate male and female counts. The colored bar shows each decade's share relative to the peak.
Gaelen + Last Name Combinations
How many people share a full name with Gaelen as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Names Similar to Gaelen
Other first names starting with G with a similar number of bearers.
Gaelen: Questions and Answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Gaelen?
We estimate approximately 169 people named Gaelen are alive in the United States today. This is based on SSA birth records from 1880 to 2024, adjusted for mortality using CDC life tables. About 1 in 2,028,132 Americans share this first name.
Is Gaelen a common name?
Gaelen is classified as "Very Rare" and is more popular than 72% of all first names in the SSA database. A total of 174 births have been registered with this name since 1880.
When was Gaelen most popular?
Gaelen reached peak popularity in 1996, when 14 babies were given this name. The average age of a living person named Gaelen is approximately 32 years old, reflecting when the name was most commonly given.
How common was Gaelen in the 2020 Census?
The 2020 Census recorded 310 people with the first name Gaelen. That placed it at #28,814 in the published Census first-name tables, or 0.10 people per 100,000.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census number is a count of people with the name in 2020. The living estimate is a current model based on SSA birth records and survival rates, so it aims to estimate how many people with the name are alive now.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The popularity chart tracks birth registrations, not people currently alive. It shows how often Gaelen was given to babies from 1880 through 2024, which is why it is the best tool on the page for seeing long-run naming trends.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Gaelen?
In the 2020 Census snapshot, Gaelen was recorded as predominantly male. The published split was 69.0% male and 31.0% female.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Gaelen?
In the 2020 Census, the first name Gaelen was most commonly recorded among people who identified as White (75.40%). The next largest recorded groups were Black (8.31%) and Two or More Races (7.99%). These percentages describe the people who had the name in the 2020 Census, not the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census published separate first-name tables for sex and for race and Hispanic origin. Those totals can differ slightly for the same name, so the page uses them as two related snapshots rather than treating them as perfectly interchangeable counts.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name tables only include names that met the Bureau's publication rules. That means some names on this site will have SSA history but no published Census demographic snapshot.
Is Gaelen a male name?
Gaelen is predominantly male. 89.7% of people with this name are male. See the gender breakdown above for full details.
Why can Gaelen have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because a name can build up a large population over many decades. Gaelen peaked in 1996, and the average living bearer is about 32 years old, so a name can still have millions of living bearers even after it stops feeling current for newborns.
How many Gaelen Smiths are there?
To find how many people share a specific full name, we combine first name and surname frequencies. Try: Gaelen Smith, Gaelen Johnson, Gaelen Williams. You can also search any combination on our homepage.
Where does this data come from?
Our estimates use Social Security Administration birth records (1880 to 2024), adjusted for survival using CDC 2023 life tables broken down by sex. The U.S. population figure (342,754,338) is from the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimate. Full methodology.
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