Gregory
Gregory was the 593rd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 493 babies. Its best year was 1962, when it ranked 21st with 21,976 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 247 places. More babies were named Gregory in the 1960s than in any other decade.
Meaning watchful, alert · Greek, Latin
Say it GREG-uh-ree /ˈɡrɛɡ(ə)ri/
- Rank in 2025
- #593 boys, down 158 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 493boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 196221,976 babies
- Total since 1880
- 714,753babies recorded
What does the name Gregory mean?
Gregory comes from the late Greek name Gregorios, meaning watchful or alert. DMNES derives it from the Greek verb for keeping watch, and Wiktionary traces that to an older verb meaning to awaken. The name spread through the church: DMNES counts fourteen medieval popes called Gregory, along with patriarchs and many saints in the Eastern and Western churches. It is recorded in England from the 12th century and has long been used in the US.
Γρηγόριος (Ancient Greek, “watchful, vigilant”)ἐγείρω (Ancient Greek, “to awaken, rouse”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Greg, Gregor, Grigory, Gregorio, Grégoire.
See also: Greek names.
Sources for this meaning
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Gregory', DMNES (Durham University)
- Wiktionary, entry 'Gregory' (English section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
Nicknames for Gregory
The usual nicknames for Gregory are Greg. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 boys named Gregory in the last five years, 4 were named Greg, against 4 twenty years earlier.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Boys, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greg | Traditional | #4,761 | 121 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Gregorys go by each one.
Gregory popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 2,860 since 1929.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #593 | 493 |
| 2020 | #435 | 686 |
| 2010 | #268 | 1,287 |
| 2000 | #138 | 2,839 |
| 1990 | #51 | 8,378 |
| 1980 | #42 | 9,267 |
| 1970 | #26 | 16,286 |
| 1960 | #24 | 20,304 |
| 1950 | #25 | 13,311 |
| 1940 | #189 | 756 |
| 1930 | #363 | 248 |
| 1920 | #454 | 179 |
| 1910 | #573 | 25 |
| 1900 | #759 | 12 |
| 1890 | #579 | 12 |
| 1880 | #967 | 5 |
How popular is Gregory, counting every spelling?
Gregory is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #586 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #593 for Gregory on its own. Together these spellings went to 493 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gregory | 493 | #593 | 2,828 |
| Greggory | — | — | 25 |
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 Gregory?
493 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Gregory (0.14 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Gregory 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 17 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Gregory.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Gregory?
About 567,100 people born in the US named Gregory are alive today, with a median age of 57; half are between 43 and 66. That makes Gregory 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.
Gregory by state
How common Gregory was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Connecticut (2.3×), Mississippi (1.9×), Georgia (1.6×), Alabama (1.6×), Maryland (1.5×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Utah, Iowa, Oklahoma.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Gregory: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Gregory, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Gregory · Sibling names for Gregory
Questions about the name Gregory
What does Gregory mean?
Gregory means “watchful, alert” (Greek, Latin origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Gregory?
Gregory was the 593rd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 493 babies. Its best year was 1962, when it ranked 21st with 21,976 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 247 places. More babies were named Gregory in the 1960s than in any other decade.
Is Gregory a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Gregory in the US.
Where is Gregory most popular?
In 2021–2025, Gregory was most common in Connecticut (0.74 per 1,000 boys), followed by Mississippi and Georgia.