Gustavus is the Latinised form of the male given name Gustav or Gustaf, of likely Old Swedish origin, used mainly in Scandinavian countries, German-speaking countries, and the Low Countries, possibly meaning "staff of the Geats or Goths or gods", possibly derived from the Old Norse elements Gautr ("Geats"), Gutar/Gotar ("Goths") or goð ōs ("gods"), and stafr ("staff"). Another etymology speculates that the name may be of Medieval Slavic origin, from the name Gostislav, a compound word for "glorious guest", from the Medieval Slavic words gosti ("guest") and slava ("glory") and was adopted by migrating groups north and west into Germany and Scandinavia. This name has been borne by eight Kings of Sweden, including the 16th-century Gustav Vasa and the current king, Carl XVI Gustaf. It is a common name for Swedish monarchs since the reign of Gustav Vasa. The name has entered other languages as well. In French it is Gustave; in Italian, Portuguese and Spanish it is Gustavo. A side form of the name in Swedish is Gösta. The name in Finnish is Kustaa, while in Icelandic it is written Gústav or Gústaf.

Gustavus
GenderMale
Origin
Word/nameGermanic or Slavic
Meaning"gods staff" or "famous guest"
Other names
Related namesGustav, Gustaf, Gustavo, Gistav, Gostislav, Gustl, Kustas

See also

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