Gypsy
Gypsy: name meaning, origin and popularity
Pronunciation (IPA): /ˈd͡ʒɪp.si/
Meaning and origin of Gypsy
Root meaning: “Egyptian”
- A female given name.
Etymology
A clipping of Gyptian (in Early Modern English roughly /ˈd͡ʒɪp.sɪ.æn/), itself an apheretic form of Egyptian, from Middle English Egipcian (“Egyptian”) (rarely Gypcian), from Old French egyptien, from Latin aegyptianus, from aegyptius (“Egypt”), because when Roma first appeared in England in the sixteenth century, they were wrongly believed to have come from Egypt. The Albanian evgjit, Greek γύφτος (gýftos), Italian gitano, Spanish gitano and Turkish Kıpti have the same origin. Doublet of Egyptian and Copt. The other major categories of words for the Roma are cognates of Rom (words related to the Romani people's autonyms) and cognates of tzigane (words derived from Greek); see those entries
How popular is Gypsy?
Since 1880, 1,501 girls in the U.S. have been named Gypsy. Its highest rank for girls was #1260 in 1891. In 2025, 11 babies were given the name, outside the top 1,000.
Sibling name ideas for Gypsy
Names that peaked around the same time as Gypsy and are still in the U.S. top 1,000.
Gypsy FAQ
What does the name Gypsy mean?
Gypsy traces back to a root meaning "Egyptian". A female given name. A clipping of Gyptian (in Early Modern English roughly /ˈd͡ʒɪp.sɪ.æn/), itself an apheretic form of Egyptian, from Middle English Egipcian (“Egyptian”) (rarely Gypcian), from Old French egyptien, from Latin aegyptianus, from aegyptius (“Egypt”), because when Roma first appeared in England in the sixteenth century, they were wrongly believed to have come from Egypt. The Albanian evgjit, Greek γύφτος (gýftos), Italian gitano, Spanish gitano and Turkish Kıpti have the same origin. Doublet of Egyptian and Copt. The other major categories of words for the Roma are cognates of Rom (words related to the Romani people's autonyms) and cognates of tzigane (words derived from Greek); see those entries
How popular is the name Gypsy?
Since 1880, 1,501 girls in the U.S. have been named Gypsy. Its highest rank for girls was #1260 in 1891. In 2025, 11 babies were given the name, outside the top 1,000.
Is Gypsy a boy or girl name?
Gypsy is mostly a girl name in the U.S.: 1,501 girls and 0 boys since 1880.
Popularity data: U.S. Social Security Administration baby name data, 1880–2025 (names given to 5+ babies per year). Origin and etymology text: Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.