Gray
Gray was the 1418th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 128 babies. Its best year was 1889, when it ranked 838th; the most babies were born in 2023 (175). Over the last ten years it has moved down 143 places. More babies were named Gray in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Grey) grey (color); also surname · English, Old English
- Rank in 2025
- #1,418 boys, down 181 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 128boys
- Girls and boys
- 18% girls, 82% boys2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2023175 babies
- Total since 1880
- 5,842babies recorded
What does the name Gray mean?
Gray is a spelling of Grey, pronounced the same way, so it shares Grey's meaning and origin.
Grey is the English color word, from Old English grǣg, used as a given name. It is also an old English surname, first a nickname for someone with gray hair or gray clothing, and in some families from Graye in Normandy; it is borne by the Earls Grey and by Lady Jane Grey. As a first name Grey is a modern choice for boys and girls, sometimes short for Greyson or Greta. Grey is the usual British spelling and Gray the American one.
grǣg (Old English, “gray”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Gray, Greyson, Grayson.
See also: English names, names that mean a color.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Grey', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Wiktionary, entry 'grey' (English section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (our computation), SSA (public domain)
Gray popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Rank (boys) | Babies (girls) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #5,614 | #1,418 | 22 | 128 |
| 2020 | #3,859 | #1,237 | 37 | 151 |
| 2010 | #5,681 | #1,618 | 24 | 97 |
| 2000 | — | #2,452 | — | 39 |
| 1990 | — | #2,334 | — | 30 |
| 1980 | — | #2,768 | — | 17 |
| 1970 | — | #1,673 | — | 27 |
| 1960 | — | #1,386 | — | 33 |
| 1950 | #5,592 | #1,409 | 5 | 27 |
| 1940 | — | #2,234 | — | 11 |
| 1930 | — | #1,919 | — | 16 |
| 1920 | — | #1,263 | — | 33 |
| 1910 | — | — | — | — |
| 1900 | — | #869 | — | 10 |
| 1890 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
How popular is Gray, counting every spelling?
Gray is a spelling of Grey, a name family that ranked #727 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #1,418 for Gray on its own. Together these spellings went to 350 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grey | 222 | #1,014 | 1,469 |
| Gray | 128 | #1,418 | 776 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Gray?
128 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Gray (0.04 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Gray born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 66 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Gray.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Gray?
About 4,200 people born in the US named Gray are alive today, with a median age of 16; half are between 7 and 35. That makes Gray mostly worn by children and young adults.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Gray by state
How common Gray was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Tennessee (3.3×), North Carolina (2.4×), Georgia (2.0×). In 29 states fewer than five boys a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Gray: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Gray, they share its era and feel.
Gray is also a nickname for Grayson.
Questions about the name Gray
What does Gray mean?
Gray is a spelling of Grey, which means “grey (color); also surname” (English, Old English origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Gray?
Gray was the 1418th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 128 babies. Its best year was 1889, when it ranked 838th; the most babies were born in 2023 (175). Over the last ten years it has moved down 143 places. More babies were named Gray in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Gray a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, 18% girls, 82% boys given the name Gray in the US.
Where is Gray most popular?
In 2021–2025, Gray was most common in Tennessee (0.30 per 1,000 boys), followed by North Carolina and Georgia.