Gray
Grey or gray is an intermediate color between black and white that has a rather neutral value on the color scale. Though it is a neutral or achromatic color, meaning that it has no chroma. It is the color of a rain or storm cloud, of ash, and of lead.
- English
Meaning & Origin of Gray
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Grey or gray is an intermediate color between black and white that has a rather neutral value on the color scale. Though it is a neutral or achromatic color, meaning that it has no chroma. It is the color of a rain or storm cloud, of ash, and of lead.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
Etymology
The Story of Gray
As a girl name
Gray first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1912, with 5 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 2014: 47 births, good for #3,368 nationwide. About 47% of every Gray on record arrived during the 2010s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Gray ranks #5,133 for girls with 25 births, falling sharply (-21%). All told, over 706 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1910s to the 2020s.
As a boy name
Gray first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1885, with 5 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 2023: 175 births, good for #1,171 nationwide. About 24% of every Gray on record arrived during the 2010s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Gray ranks #1,285 for boys with 153 births, holding steady (+3%). All told, over 5K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1880s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Gray
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Gray. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Names that sound like Gray
Phonetically similar names — useful when Gray is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
- Grey
- Grei
- Grow
- Grew
- Gree
- Gras
- Gry
- Gra
- Gro
- Graw
- Grie
- Groe
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Gray
What does the name Gray mean?
What is the origin of the name Gray?
How popular is Gray in 2026?
When was Gray most popular?
In which U.S. states is Gray most popular?
Is Gray a unisex name?
What names go well with Gray?
What are nicknames or variants of Gray?
About the name Gray
Gray is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1885 and has accumulated 5K births in the dataset. Gray's peak popularity came in 2023 when it ranked #789. Use the chart and map above to compare Gray's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2023 →
- Names of the 2020s →
- Names starting with "G" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.