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 (2025)#1014 ↘ Falling

2025 U.S. births222 boys (0.01% of U.S. boys)

Peak year2021

Total births (all-time)≈ 6,054

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

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

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

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.

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Explore names like Grey

By themeenglish unisex one-syllable color-name

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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.