Grey

♂ Boy

Pronounced GRAY /ɡreɪ/High

Meaning: Grey; grey-haired; from Old English graeg (grey, grey-colored)High

In 30 seconds: A color name meaning 'grey' from Old English graeg. A crisp one-syllable name evoking the sophisticated neutrality of the color — associated with wisdom, sophistication, and calm in color psychology.

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Origin HighEnglish

MeaningGrey; grey-haired; from Old English graeg (grey, grey-colored)

U.S. rank (2024)#876 ↘ Falling

2024 U.S. births274 boys (0.02% of U.S. boys)

Peak year2021

Total births (all-time)≈ 5,832

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

History & Origin

Grey (also spelled Gray) derives from Old English graeg (grey, grey-colored). It was originally a nickname for grey-haired people or those who wore grey, becoming a hereditary surname. As a given name it is a modern English color-name choice.

Grey has been appearing in U.S. birth data from the 2000s for both boys and girls. It ranked #876 for boys in 2024.

Did you know? Fifty Shades of Grey — E. L. James's phenomenally bestselling 2011 novel — made Grey a name inescapable in popular culture, even if the name was already rising. The protagonist Christian Grey gave the name an irresistibly cool, complex connotation.

Overall data confidence 96%

Behind the Name — Grey — Old English etymologyU.S. Social Security Administration — popularity data

Variations

Gray

Nicknames

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Famous Bearers

★Christian Grey (fictional)
The male protagonist of E. L. James's Fifty Shades of Grey (2011), whose name brought the word grey into unprecedented popular cultural focus.

If you like Grey…

Blake— one-syllable color-adjacent name with the same cool, confident monosyllable

Ash— one-syllable nature/color name with the same understated elegance

Slate— one-syllable color name in the same neutral palette

Flint— one-syllable nature/mineral name in the same crisp category

Archer— short surname name with the same precise, confident character

Frequently Asked

What does the name Grey mean?

Grey means 'grey,' from Old English graeg (grey-colored). As a name it evokes the sophistication and calm of the neutral color.

How do you pronounce Grey?

It's said GRAY — one syllable.

Is Grey a boy or girl name?

Grey is used for both sexes.

How popular is Grey?

Grey ranked #876 for U.S. boys in 2024.