The first name Gray
A unisex name meaning “greek”.
Pronounced /ɡɹeɪ/ 1 syllable Unisex Also a surname
Meaning and origin
Gray means “greek”.
* As an English, Irish, Scottish, and Norman surname, from the placename Graye-sur-Mer in Calvados, from Late Latin Graecus (“Greek”). * Also as an English surname, from the adjective gray. Compare the Irish calque McGreevy. * As a French surname, from Gray, Haute-Saône in France, from the personal name Gradus, a Gallo-Roman/Celtic pronunciation of Gratus, from the name Gratius.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 10 boys were named Gray, making it the 2,269th most popular boys’ name. It peaked in 2021, with 51 births (#688).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Gray with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Gray at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 128 boys born in the United States were named Gray, the 1,418th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 2023, when 175 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Nicknames and spellings
Other spellings and forms
Famous people named Gray
5 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Gray MaynardAmerican mixed martial artist (born 1979)
- Harrison Gray Dyar, Jr.American entomologist (1866-1929)
- Harrison Gray OtisAmerican politician (1765-1848)
- William Francis Gray SwannAmerican physicist (1884–1962)
- Gray FredericksonAmerican film producer, 1937–2022
Questions
- What does the name Gray mean?
- Gray means “greek”.
- How popular is the name Gray?
- In 2025, 10 boys born in England and Wales were named Gray, ranking 2,269th. Its peak was 2021, with 51 births.
- Is Gray a boy's or a girl's name?
- Both. Of the 5,842 US babies named Gray since 1880, 12% were girls and 88% boys.
- When was Gray most popular?
- 2023 in the United States, when 175 babies were named Gray, its highest rank at 1,175th.
- How do you pronounce Gray?
- Gray is /ɡɹeɪ/, one syllable.
- What are other spellings of Gray?
- Grey.
- Is Gray also a surname?
- Yes. Gray is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.