Boy · #8,799 in 2026

Grayling

Name: Popularity of the name Grayling in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Grayling, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

Current Rank

#8,799

Peak Rank

#987 (1959)

Total Babies

529

5-Yr Trend

Stable

1950

First Year

1994

Last Year

1959

Peak Year

#987

Peak Rank

529

Total Count

Years Active

The Story of Grayling

The earliest SSA record of Grayling as a baby boy name dates back to 1950, when 17 babies received it. 1959 was its biggest year on record, with 61 newborns named Grayling — #987 in the national rankings. About 62% of every Grayling on record arrived during the 1950s, its defining decade. Grayling last appeared in the published SSA data in 1994, with 5 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 529 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1950s to the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Names that sound like Grayling

Phonetically similar names — useful when Grayling is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Greyling
Growling
Grilling
Grueling
Gruelling
Gurgling
Graying
Greying
Girling
Ghrelin
Geralyn
Gerling

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Grayling

What does the name Grayling mean?

Grayling is a boy's name that has been used in U.S. records since 1950. Behind the Name doesn't list a specific etymology, but the name has remained in use across multiple decades.

How popular is Grayling in 2026?

In 2026, Grayling ranks #8,799 among boys' names in the U.S., with 5 babies given the name that year.

When was Grayling most popular?

Grayling reached its peak popularity in 1959, ranking #987 that year with 61 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Grayling most popular?

Grayling has historically been most popular in North Carolina, Missouri, Alabama. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Grayling.

Is Grayling a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Grayling is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.

What names go well with Grayling?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Grayling include Gay, Adin, Gianluca. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Grayling

Grayling is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1950 and has accumulated 529 births in the dataset. Grayling's peak popularity came in 1959 when it ranked #987. Use the chart and map above to compare Grayling's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

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.