The baby name Gareth stepped out of medieval legend but still sounds rather dashing.
Thanks to Moira for suggesting our Baby Name of the Day.
WHAT DOES THE NAME GARETH MEAN?
Gareth is one of the legendary knights of King Arthur and Camelot. Like many of those Round Table names, Gareth comes from a mix of Welsh legend by way of French medieval tales, translated into English – with a bit of confusion and creative license along the way.
Scholars suggest that Welsh name Gwrhyd meaning “valor” is a likely origin for the baby name Gareth. Gwrhyd appears on the map in Wales as a place name, and the home of a former church, once significant in the community.
There’s also Gaheriet, used in medieval French by authors like Chrétien de Troyes. It looks a little closer to the English Gareth.
Sir Thomas Malory compiled Arthurian legend into Le Morte d’Arthur in 1485.
His Gareth is the brother of Gawain, better known today as Gavin. They’re often described as King Arthur’s nephews.
Malory isn’t the only author to re-tell those stories, of course. Along the way, Gawain sometimes had two brothers: Gareth and Gaheris, or another combination of names. Gareth is also associated with a knight know as Beaumains.
Le Morte d’Arthur tells us that Gareth and Lynette rescue Lyonesse from the Red Knight. In some versions, he marries Lyonesse.
Nearly every version makes Gareth noble, sometimes in contrast to others. So regardless of the name’s exact etymology, it does seem to mean valor – or something in that category.
There’s also Geraint, a name from Welsh folklore and an early medieval Welsh king. In this case, though, Geraint is probably from a Latin name: Gerontius, meaning old man.
One more possibility: the Welsh word gwaredd means “gentleness.” It’s often associated with the baby name Gareth.
20th CENTURY FAVORITE
Various names from the legends of Camelot have been discovered and revived over the years.
During the 19th century, Tennyson used the name in his poems, like “Gareth and Lynette.”
For much of the 20th century, the baby name Gareth enjoyed modest popularity in England & Wales.
The similar Garrett also trended in the English-speaking world during the 20th century. But it’s not a cousin. Instead, Garrett comes from Gerald and Gerard, both ultimately derived from the Germanic element ger, meaning spear.
Gary is a cousin to Gerald and Gerard. It boomed during the 20th century in the US, partly due to American actor Gary Cooper.
Garth is yet another similar-sounding name. But it’s an English surname from Old Norse roots. Garth means garden.
All of this makes Gareth the pitch perfect name for a British man – possibly artistocratic, but maybe not.
Famous figures include:
- In the original version of The Office, Gareth is the Dwight-like figure.
- There’s a Gareth in 1994 British rom com Four Weddings and a Funeral.
- He’s a villain in The Walking Dead and a military commander in The Wheel of Time.
- Now that Ralph Fiennes has replaced Judi Dench as M in the Bond movies, his character’s full name is Gareth Mallory.
Dozens and dozens of real-life Gareths, most born during the 20th century, are Welsh, English, or from elsewhere in the English-speaking world.
But the name has never been especially popular in US.
HOW POPULAR IS THE NAME GARETH?
The baby name Gareth peaked circa 1980 elsewhere in the UK, Australia, and New Zealand.
But in the US? Gareth has never ranked in the US Top 1000.
Peak usage was 2016, with 104 births. As of 2024, that number dropped to just 50 boys in the US receiving the name.
Perhaps American parents recognize that Gareth now reads a little middle-aged elsewhere. Or maybe it’s just never quite caught on.
For what it’s worth, Gary, Gerard, and Gerald have all left the US Top 1000, too. Garrett still ranks, but is falling in use.
POLISHED and RARE
Despite this fall in popularity, Gareth might still be the perfect baby name for parents after something that reads a little bit Anglophile. It’s polished and unexpected, a name that mixes strength and all that Camelot legend with a current sound.
TH is having a moment. Just ask Theo and Thaddeus, Ethan, Nathaniel, and Heath.
If you’re looking for a name that everyone recognizes, but almost no one is using, Gareth might be the right choice for your family.
What do you think of the baby name Gareth?
First published on May 25, 2011, this post was revised on April 23, 2026.
I wasn’t trolling; I really feel that way.
Gary is certainly not a regular nickname for “Gareth” – any Gareth who goes by ‘Gary’ is usually trying to wholly hide the name not shorten it.
I have a variation of this name and in North America it does indeed get misunderstood as “Garth” maybe 5 times out of 10. 3 times out of 10 is Garrett, once is Gary and 1 time out of ten the person pays enough attention to get the name right :0)
Certainly not a nerdy name in the UK (I would say that though, wouldn’t I?) – but it’s far from being a ‘cool’ name either.
Many thanks to the troller who said the -eth ending was ‘repulsive’, a harsh word I feel. Sometimes people have such a wide vocabulary within reach but fail to ever quite grasp it.
Alemeth, Amleth, Beth, Conleth, Daveth, Elizabeth, Gareth, Gwyneth, Heeth, Hesketh, Heth, Jafeth, Japheth, Jareth, Jeth, Keith, Kenneth,Leeth. Seth and Thoth too if you like Egyptian gods…
I hope that sentence repulseth you :0)
I don’t think anyone was trying to insult you personally, or any other Gareth for that matter. It’s a reaction to the name, not the person who bears it. Lots of lovely people are saddled with names that can be outlandish, off-putting, or just plain bland. Or anywhere in between, of course – and it is all a matter of perspective.
As for the Gary/Gareth issue, many of the visitors are considering names for infants. There is a tendency to shorten your baby or young child’s name that can be powerful – you think you’ll always call her Meredith,but then you’re holding your bitsy 7-pound girl and she’s MerryMerryQuiteContrary all of a sudden. So I do like to point out what you might find yourself calling your kiddo – or hearing your parents call your kiddo, like it or not.
I’m a huge fan of Arthurian names so I’m definitely in love with Gareth. Another person I thought of when I saw this post was Gareth Bale. He’s a footballer who plays for Tottenham FC and the Wales National Team.
Ah, I really like Gareth! I have a soft spot for Arthurian names (totally want to use Guinevere!), and I like the sound. I would love to meet one, or have one myself!
The name ‘Gareth Gwenlan’ always caught my eye as the credits rolled for a British show I watched as a kid. I knew it must be a man, but it sounded like it could make a pretty first/middle name pairing for a girl.
I agree, on a boy here these days, it would be mistaken for Gary or Garth, and the -eth ending sounds a little like a lisp. But I’m not sure why the -eth ending is such a strong turn-off for people. Seth is fairly popular statistically, maybe not regionally, and Kenneth is very familiar. Do commenters dislike Seth and Kenneth as much as Gareth?
Does it sound feminine, like -eth/-ith makes a person only think of names like Elizabeth and Meredith (as a girl’s name here) ??
I don’t like Seth either, and Kenneth just seems very dated. I’m not a fan of Meredith or Edith, for that matter. I don’t think the -eth ending sounds feminine; it just sounds blecchhh. Especially when paired with the (imo) equally unattractive Gar- beginning.