Greg
Greg was the 4761st most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 21 babies. Its best year was 1961, when it ranked 77th with 5,397 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 1,446 places. More babies were named Greg in the 1960s than in any other decade.
Meaning short form of Gregory; "watchful" · Greek, English
Say it GREG /ɡrɛɡ/
- Rank in 2025
- #4,761 boys, down 571 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 21boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19615,397 babies
- Total since 1880
- 77,849babies recorded
What does the name Greg mean?
Greg is the short form of Gregory (and of Scottish Gregor), also given in full. Gregory comes from the Greek Grēgorios, "watchful, alert", from a verb meaning "to keep watch". It was the name of many popes, including Gregory the Great, and of church fathers in East and West, which spread it through Christian Europe. Greg became a popular stand-alone name in the US in the mid-20th century.
γρηγόριος (Greek, “watchful, alert”)γρηγορεῖν (Greek, “to watch”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Gregory, Gregg, Gregor.
See also: Greek names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Greg', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Gregory', DMNES (Durham University)
- Wikipedia, 'Greg', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation)
Greg popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 143 since 1951.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #4,761 | 21 |
| 2020 | #4,190 | 24 |
| 2010 | #2,889 | 41 |
| 2000 | #1,524 | 79 |
| 1990 | #711 | 204 |
| 1980 | #336 | 558 |
| 1970 | #154 | 2,007 |
| 1960 | #83 | 5,084 |
| 1950 | #228 | 804 |
| 1940 | #831 | 57 |
| 1930 | #2,667 | 10 |
| 1920 | #4,009 | 6 |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Greg, counting every spelling?
Greg is the most common spelling of a name family that had 26 boys in 2025 across its spellings. Together these spellings went to 26 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greg | 21 | #4,761 | 121 |
| Gregg | 5 | #12,682 | 27 |
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 Greg?
21 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Greg (0.01 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Greg 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 401 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Greg.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Greg?
About 60,300 people born in the US named Greg are alive today, with a median age of 63; half are between 56 and 67. That makes Greg a name most people associate with older generations.
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.
Greg by state
How common Greg was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in California (2.7×). In 49 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 Greg: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Greg, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Greg · Sibling names for Greg
Greg is also a nickname for Gregory.
Questions about the name Greg
What does Greg mean?
Greg means “short form of Gregory; "watchful"” (Greek, English origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Greg?
Greg was the 4761st most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 21 babies. Its best year was 1961, when it ranked 77th with 5,397 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 1,446 places. More babies were named Greg in the 1960s than in any other decade.
Is Greg a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Greg in the US.
Where is Greg most popular?
In 2021–2025, Greg was most common in California (0.04 per 1,000 boys), followed by Texas and Texas.