Given name & surname
Craig
“from the rocks; from the crag”
Craig is used as a given name and a surname. One interpretation is “from the rocks; from the crag.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One interpretation is “from the rocks; from the crag.”
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1881. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Craig through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 300,628
- 299,616 boys · 1,012 girls
- Most popular year
- 1960
- 10,744 babies
- 2025
- 102
- #1,644 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −43%
- Cooling
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 102 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 1,644 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 42.8% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 10,724 in 1960. In 2025, California and Florida shared the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (8 each). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 244,493 as a first name in 2020; 87,675 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Craig’s family of names
In English usage, Craig as a surname shares an earlier linguistic root with Carrick. In English usage, Craig has a related form in Graig. Craig has a related form in Craige.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 10
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Graigvariant · English
- Cragvariant
- Craigevariant
- Craigglikely variant
- Craggsvariant · English
- Cragevariant
- Craegevariant
- Craygevariant
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Spellings & scripts 2
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 1
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Craig
- Craig MelloAmerican biologistborn 1960
- Craig DavidBritish singer (born 1981)
- Craig BellamyWelsh association football manager (born 1979)
- Craig GordonScottish association football player (born 1982)
- Craig FergusonBritish actorborn 1962
- Craig T. NelsonAmerican actor and comedian (born 1944)
- Craig GoodwinAustralian association footballerborn 1991
- Craig RobinsonAmerican actor and comedian (born 1971)
- Craig GardnerEnglish association football player (born 1986)
Characters named Craig: Craig Tucker (South Park).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
Similar names
If you love Craig, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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Guy
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>99% boys
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“a dark or swarthy man”
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Kelvin
“a friend of ships; a man of the river”
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Keith
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Glen
“from the secluded narrow valley”
>99% boys