Once upon a time, Gus was a name bestowed with some frequency on newborn baby boys. From 1880 to 1900, it hovered between 122 and 199. It was no John, or even Robert, but still common enough that you might have a Gus on your family tree, hanging out with Great Aunt Esther and your third-cousin-twice-removed, Mabel.

For most of the 20th century, Gus slowly crept towards obscurity, and by 1978, dropped out of the Top 1000 entirely. And while it still feels a bit brief to bestow as a formal name, as a nickname it feels surprisingly fresh and modern.If you like the idea of calling your little tyke Gus, what should you write on the birth certificate? Here are a few obvious ideas:

• August - just like the month, and like playwright August Wilson. Far more user-friendly than the Latin emperor moniker, Augustus.
• Augustin - more French-fried than the first option, with a certain amount of literary flair, thanks to Augusten Burroughs.
• Augustine - saintly, and with the “stine” ending, perhaps a touch feminine.

But if you’re feeling adventurous, here are some Gus-getters that are a bit less expected:

• Angus - It’s tough to come up with a boy’s name that is simple, straightforward and not Top 1000.  Angus fits the bill - and leaves you with the cute nickname Gus.
• Fergus - It’s a bit farther out than Angus, but might work for an adventurous parenting pair.
• Ferguson - Somehow, tacking on an extra syllable tones down Fergus.  Ferguson is an unusual surname choice that could work, especially with a shorter last name.  And the middle syllable - Gus - is just begging to be used as the short form.
• Gustav - This is one of those funny names that everyone recognizes, but few people consider for their sons.  There’s something theatrical about this choice, and it probably wouldn’t wear as well as August or Angus.
• Mingus - If you’re a jazz fanatic, naming your child after jazz musician and activist Charles Mingus could be an interesting choice.

There you have it … eight ways to arrive at the every-guy nickname Gus.