How common is the surname Gregory?

91,384 people in the United States had the surname Gregory in the 2010 Census, about 1 in every 3,379 Americans. It ranked 339th of 162,253 surnames.

Who is the most famous person named Gregory?

Wilton Daniel Gregory, American Cardinal, followed by Frederick D. Gregory.

Where is the surname Gregory most common?

Wikidata records people named Gregory in the United States, Australia and the German Empire and 3 other countries.

How do you pronounce Gregory?

Gregory is /ˈɡɹɛɡ(ə)ɹi/, 3 syllables.

Is the surname Gregory getting more or less common?

More common. 88,810 people carried it in the 2000 Census and 91,384 in 2010, up 2.9%.

Is Gregory also a first name?

Yes. Gregory is used as a first name as well as a surname; its first-name page has the meaning and how many babies were given it.

The surname Gregory

A Greek patronymic surname, carried by 91,384 people in the United States.

Pronounced /ˈɡɹɛɡ(ə)ɹi/ 3 syllables Soundex G626 Also a first name

Every surname held by 100 or more people in the 2010 US Census, most common on the left (162,253 in all). Gregory is more common than 99.8% of them.

Origin

Greek origin

Via Latin Grēgorius, from post-classical Ancient Greek Γρηγόριος (Grēgórios, “watchful, vigilant”), from Ancient Greek ἐγείρω (egeírō, “awaken, arouse”).

Gregory is a patronymic surname: formed from a father’s (or ancestor’s) given name.

One of 45 Greek surnames on this site.

Origin from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).

How common it is

2010 US Census

There were 91,384 people named Gregory in the United States in 2010, about 1 in every 3,379 Americans. That is up 2.9% since 2000, when the Census counted 88,810.

#339

rank among US surnames

91,384

people in 2010

per 100,000 Americans

+2.9%

change since 2000 (was #312)

Rank	Surname	People	1 in
#330	Miranda	93,628	3,298
#331	Byrd	92,904	3,323
#332	Craig	92,507	3,338
#333	Ayala	92,463	3,339
#334	Lowe	92,260	3,346
#335	Frazier	92,152	3,350
#336	Powers	91,970	3,357

Who is named Gregory

Race and Hispanic origin as people reported it in the 2010 Census

79% of people named Gregory identified as white (not Hispanic), 16% as Black (not Hispanic) and 2.5% as Hispanic or Latino (any race).

White (not Hispanic) 79%
Black (not Hispanic) 16%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 2.5%
Two or more races 2.0%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.8%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.6%

Compare: most common surnames among white Americans.

Famous Gregorys

28 notable people on Wikidata, most written-about first

Wilton Daniel Gregory
American Cardinal, born 1947
Frederick D. Gregory
American astronaut, born 1941
Dick Gregory
American comedian, social activist, social critic, writer, and entrepreneur (1932–2017)
William G. Gregory
American astronaut, born 1957
Adam Gregory
American actor, born 1987
Dorian Gregory
American actor, born 1971
Benji Gregory
American actor (1978–2024)
James Gregory
American actor (1911-2002)
Augustus Charles Gregory
Australian explorer (1819-1905)
Leon Gregory
Australian sprinter, born 1932
Caspar René Gregory
American-born German theologian, 1846–1917
Natalie Gregory
American actress, born 1975

Notable Gregorys come mostly from the United States (18), Australia (6) and the German Empire (1).

Spellings and sound-alikes

Useful when a record has your ancestor under another spelling

Surnames that sound like Gregory

Gregory has the Soundex code G626, the code US census indexes have used since the 1930s. Every surname with code G626.

Other Greek surnames

All 45 Greek surnames

Questions

Where does the surname Gregory come from?: Via Latin Grēgorius, from post-classical Ancient Greek Γρηγόριος (Grēgórios, “watchful, vigilant”), from Ancient Greek ἐγείρω (egeírō, “awaken, arouse”).
How common is the surname Gregory?: 91,384 people in the United States had the surname Gregory in the 2010 Census, about 1 in every 3,379 Americans. It ranked 339th of 162,253 surnames.
What ethnicity is the surname Gregory?: In the 2010 Census, 79% of people named Gregory identified as white (not Hispanic), and 16% as Black (not Hispanic).
Who is the most famous person named Gregory?: Wilton Daniel Gregory, American Cardinal, followed by Frederick D. Gregory.
Where is the surname Gregory most common?: Wikidata records people named Gregory in the United States, Australia and the German Empire and 3 other countries.
How do you pronounce Gregory?: Gregory is /ˈɡɹɛɡ(ə)ɹi/, 3 syllables.
What type of surname is Gregory?: Gregory is a patronymic surname, formed from a father’s (or ancestor’s) given name.
Is the surname Gregory getting more or less common?: More common. 88,810 people carried it in the 2000 Census and 91,384 in 2010, up 2.9%.
Is Gregory also a first name?: Yes. Gregory is used as a first name as well as a surname; its first-name page has the meaning and how many babies were given it.