Grey: Name Popularity, History & Rankings (1880

Rank 2025

#1,014

among boys · ↓138 vs 2024

Babies in 2025

253

named Grey · -23% vs 2024

How common

1 in 7,694

boys born in 2025

Peak year

2021

445 babies

All-time total

7,108

#1,577 all-time among boys

First recorded

1913

in Social Security records

Grey popularity over time

7,108 babies have been named Grey since 1913, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure

Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras

BoysGirls

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade	Girls	Boys	Total	Per year	Change	Best rank
1880s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1890s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1900s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1910s	–	30	30	3	–	#2,359
1920s	–	55	55	6	+83%	#3,001
1930s	–	39	39	4	-29%	#2,796
1940s	–	66	66	7	+69%	#2,376
1950s	–	102	102	10	+55%	#1,982
1960s	–	140	140	14	+37%	#1,834
1970s	–	121	121	12	-14%	#2,157
1980s	–	166	166	17	+37%	#2,319
1990s	39	406	445	45	+168%	#1,835
2000s	104	755	859	86	+93%	#1,321
2010s	568	2,405	2,973	297	+246%	#724
2020s (to 2025)	341	1,771	2,112	352	+18%	#717

Where Grey is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year	Projected babies	Per 1,000 boys	Implied rank
2026	214	0.13	outside top 500
2027	208	0.12	outside top 500
2028	203	0.12	outside top 500
2029	199	0.12	outside top 500
2030	195	0.11	outside top 500

Where Grey is most popular

Boys named Grey per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.170 per 1,000. Strongest in Utah, Arkansas, and Colorado.

Vs national average

well below below near national above well above no data

All 50 states and DC, sorted by rate. Counts are boys named Grey born 2021–2025; the per-1,000 rate makes states of different sizes comparable, and the last column shows each state against the national average.

State	Boys 2021–2025	Per 1,000	vs national
Utah	64	0.671	+294%
Arkansas	21	0.332	+95%
Colorado	42	0.325	+91%
Montana	5	0.284	+67%
Louisiana	28	0.274	+61%
Tennessee	48	0.266	+56%
Georgia	63	0.249	+46%
Washington	40	0.244	+44%
South Carolina	24	0.232	+37%
North Carolina	59	0.231	+36%
Arizona	32	0.196	+15%
Ohio	49	0.185	+9%
Virginia	35	0.184	+8%
Indiana	29	0.181	+6%
Florida	84	0.177	≈ national
Nevada	10	0.175	≈ national
Michigan	34	0.166	≈ national
Texas	145	0.165	≈ national
Minnesota	19	0.155	-9%
Pennsylvania	40	0.151	-11%
Oregon	11	0.145	-15%
New York	60	0.139	-19%
California	125	0.137	-20%
Oklahoma	12	0.136	-20%
Missouri	18	0.130	-24%
Kentucky	13	0.130	-24%
Idaho	5	0.122	-28%
Maryland	13	0.109	-36%
Illinois	26	0.102	-40%
Wisconsin	11	0.093	-45%
Mississippi	5	0.088	-48%
Kansas	6	0.087	-49%
Connecticut	5	0.074	-57%
Massachusetts	10	0.073	-57%
New Jersey	13	0.065	-62%
Alaska	–	–	–
Alabama	–	–	–
District of Columbia	–	–	–
Delaware	–	–	–
Hawaii	–	–	–
Iowa	–	–	–
Maine	–	–	–
North Dakota	–	–	–
Nebraska	–	–	–
New Hampshire	–	–	–
New Mexico	–	–	–
Rhode Island	–	–	–
South Dakota	–	–	–
Vermont	–	–	–
West Virginia	–	–	–
Wyoming	–	–	–

State counts come from the Social Security Administration's state files, which omit any state-year with fewer than five babies of a name, so small states can undercount slightly.

The story of Grey

Grey is uncommon for boys in the United States, ranked #1,014 in 2025 with 222 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1913, 7,108 American babies have been named Grey, about 85% boys and 15% girls, making it a genuinely unisex name. Its peak came in 2021, when 445 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2020s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Grey stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Grey?

The median living Grey is about 9 years old; half are between 4 and 16. An estimated 6,800 people named Grey are alive in the United States today.

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Grey year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year	Girls	Girls rank	Boys	Boys rank
2025	31	#4,487	222	#1,014
2024	52	#3,094	276	#876
2023	49	#3,291	276	#863
2022	57	#2,936	333	#759
2021	83	#2,236	362	#717
2020	69	#2,509	302	#778
2019	69	#2,544	335	#725
2018	68	#2,570	331	#724
2017	71	#2,520	327	#733
2016	64	#2,717	321	#758
2015	72	#2,511	234	#917
2014	81	#2,293	236	#910
2013	44	#3,528	204	#982
2012	43	#3,666	185	#1,042
2011	30	#4,724	126	#1,346
2010	26	#5,305	106	#1,529
2009	17	#7,459	132	#1,321
2008	23	#6,008	113	#1,456
2007	14	#8,692	103	#1,530
2006	11	#10,151	87	#1,647
2005	6	#15,153	49	#2,385
2004	6	#14,794	69	#1,808
2003	5	#16,642	57	#2,017
2002	6	#14,205	55	#2,005
2001	11	#8,969	48	#2,166
2000	5	#15,901	42	#2,310
1995	–	–	43	#1,963
1990	5	#13,735	36	#2,057
1985	–	–	16	#2,999
1980	–	–	13	#3,319
1975	–	–	10	#3,519
1970	–	–	18	#2,157
1965	–	–	16	#2,025
1960	–	–	7	#3,470
1955	–	–	6	#3,658
1950	–	–	5	#3,889
1945	–	–	6	#3,132
1940	–	–	–	–
1935	–	–	8	#2,796
1930	–	–	–	–
1925	–	–	6	#3,915
1920	–	–	7	#3,624
1915	–	–	–	–
1910	–	–	–	–
1905	–	–	–	–
1900	–	–	–	–
1895	–	–	–	–
1890	–	–	–	–
1885	–	–	–	–
1880	–	–	–	–

Famous people named Grey

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

1 Grey DeLisle American voice actress (born 1973) Contemporary
2 Grey Owl Canadian writer, lecturer and conservationist (1888–1938) 19th century
3 Grey Damon American actor b. 1987 · Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Grey, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Grey?

The median living Grey is about 9 years old. Half of all living Greys are between 4 and 16 years old.

How many people named Grey are alive today?

An estimated 6,800 people named Grey are alive in the United States, based on 7,108 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Grey mean?

Grey is a given name. Notable people with the name include:Grey Blake (1902–1971), British actor Grey Brydges, 5th Baron Chandos, English nobleman and courtier Grey Clarke (1912–1993), nicknamed "Noisy", American baseball player G

How popular is the name Grey in 2025?

Grey ranked #1,014 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 222 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Grey?

7,108 babies have been named Grey in the United States since 1913, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Grey most popular?

Grey peaked in 2021, when 445 newborns received the name.

Is Grey a boy or girl name?

Grey is used for both: about 15% of babies named Grey have been girls and 85% boys.

Is the name Grey rising or falling?

Grey is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Will Grey become more popular?

Grey is trending downward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 195 boys named Grey in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Grey?

Well-known people named Grey include Grey DeLisle (actor), Grey Owl (writer), Grey Damon (actor).

Names like Grey

Names that sound and feel close to Grey: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Grey with similar names → More names starting with G →