Given name & surname
Grey
“a gray-haired man”
Grey is a variant of Gray. One English interpretation is “a gray-haired man.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Grey is a variant of Gray. One English interpretation is “a gray-haired man.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Grey is a variant of Gray. An origin associated with Gray is English.
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1913. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Grey through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 7,108
- 6,056 boys · 1,052 girls
- Most popular year
- 2021
- 445 babies
- 2025
- 253
- #1,014 for boys · #4,487 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −11%
- Easing
Boys, girls and both
The balance of boys and girls given this name has shifted over time. Recent births are 83% boys.
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 222 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 1,014 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 9.1% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. It also appeared in 31 birth records for girls in 2025. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (18). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 5,453 as a first name in 2020; 13,822 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.
Grey’s family of names
Grey has a related form in Gray. In English usage, Grey as a surname has an alternative spelling in Gray. In Greek usage, Grey as a surname is a transliteration of Γρέυ.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Grey has relatives in 3 languages.
4 related names in 3 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 1
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 4
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 2
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Grey
- Grey DamonAmerican actorborn 1987
- Grey ZabelAmerican football player (born 2002)
- Grey Ruegamerplayer of American footballborn 1976
- Grey Brydges, 5th Baron ChandosEnglish politician and peer1580–1621
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Grey, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Greyson
“the son of a gray-haired man”
99% boys · 1% girls
Griffin
“having a hooked nose”
99% boys · 1% girls
Royal
“of the king; a regal man”
69% boys · 31% girls
Crew
“one who rides a chariot” · “of the chariot”
99% boys · 1% girls
Emmett
“a universal man”
99% boys · 1% girls
Prince
“the royal son”
>99% boys
Ares
“Ares' dome” · “the containment of competition”
96% boys · 4% girls
Graham
“from the gravelled area; from the gray home”
>99% boys