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At a Glance: Name: Gustavo – Meaning: staff of the Geats (inherited from Gustav) – Origin: Spanish/Portuguese/Italian (form of Swedish Gustav) – Gender: Boy – Pronunciation: goo-STAH-voh
Gustavo is the Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian form of the Swedish name Gustav, with roots that trace back to Old Norse for "staff of the Geats." You might come across the claim that it means "royal staff," but that's not accurate — the royal association actually comes from Gustav's long history as a Swedish royal name, not from the name's own roots. It's pronounced goo-STAH-voh.
Meaning & Origin of Gustavo
Meaning: Staff of the geats (inherited from gustav).
Origin: Spanish/Portuguese/Italian (form of Swedish Gustav).
A common claim: royal staff Actually: Gustavo doesn't literally mean 'royal'; its root traces to Old Norse Gautr ('Geats') + stafr ('staff'). The 'royal' association likely comes from Gustav being a historic Swedish royal name.
Source: Wiktionary.
How to Pronounce Gustavo
Phonetic: goo-STAH-voh IPA: /ɡuːˈstɑːvoʊ/
Popularity of Gustavo
Gustavo hit its peak on the SSA list in 2000 at #260, with 1,290 babies given the name that year. By 2024 it had dropped to #640, with 437 babies.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration birth-name data, 1911–2024.
Make Gustavo Name Art
Free printable nursery art for Gustavo, pre-loaded below — pick a layout, palette, and font, then download a print-ready PNG.
Names With a Similar Story
Derived from shared style, era, and origin data (or, for names we have no style data for, a similar Social Security popularity trajectory) — not a hand-picked list.
FAQ
What does the name Gustavo mean?
Staff of the geats (inherited from gustav). (Source: Wiktionary, https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Gustavo)
How do you pronounce Gustavo?
Gustavo is pronounced goo-STAH-voh (IPA: /ɡuːˈstɑːvoʊ/).
Is Gustavo a popular name right now?
Gustavo peaked at #260 in 2000 and is ranked #640 as of 2024. (U.S. Social Security Administration data, 1911–2024.)
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