Unisex name · since 1885
Gray
5,166 babies named Gray in U.S. Social Security records since 1885, with the highest year being 2023. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #1,749 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #1,418 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 5,166
- born since 1885
- 2010s
- peak decade
Yes -- Gray is the #1418 most popular unisex name in the U.S. today, with 5,166 recorded since 1885.
Gray has 5,166 recorded births among boys since 1885, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #1418 as of the latest data, more common than 90% of boys, busiest in the 2010s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1885 to 2025.
- #1,749 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #1,418 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 5,166 born since 1885
- 2010s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Gray ranks #1,749 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #1,418 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 5,166 born since 1885, peaking in the 2010s.
- #1,749 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #1,418 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 5,166
- born since 1885
- 2010s
- peak decade
Gray's 5,166 recorded births place it above 96.15% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
28 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by North Carolina.
How Gray compares
5,166 Top 13% higher than 87% of 13,930 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Gray's all-time total is 14x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Gray | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 5,166 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 175 | 34 | 22,252 |
Gray's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Gray's SSA record in two at 1962 and the more recent half accounts for 77% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 23%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1885, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 2023 peak of 175, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Gray popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1885–2025
- Peak year (2023)
- 175
- Annual births at peak, across 141 years of records
Gray popularity over time - girls
676 total births recorded since 1912 (Gray as girls' name)
Gray by decade
2010s is the heaviest window (1,296 births, 25% of the file).
2010s was Gray's strongest decade.
1,296 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 25% of all-time use.
Gray births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 17
1880s
17 births
- 1890s 15
1890s
15 births
- 1900s 38
1900s
38 births
- 1910s 140
1910s
140 births
- 1920s 195
1920s
195 births
- 1930s 158
1930s
158 births
- 1940s 229
1940s
229 births
- 1950s 333
1950s
333 births
- 1960s 306
1960s
306 births
- 1970s 203
1970s
203 births
- 1980s 258
1980s
258 births
- 1990s 433
1990s
433 births
- 2000s
2000s
618 births
- 2010s
2010s
1,296 births
- 2020s
2020s
927 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 1,296 births (25% of all-time use).
How Gray compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Gray's total volume
Gray by state
Where Gray concentrates geographically, total births since 1885
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | North Carolina | | 334 | 6.5% |
| #2 | Texas | | 327 | 6.3% |
| #3 | California | | 258 | 5.0% |
| #4 | Georgia | | 123 | 2.4% |
| #5 | Florida | | 122 | 2.4% |
| #6 | Tennessee | | 107 | 2.1% |
| #7 | Virginia | | 83 | 1.6% |
| #8 | Utah | | 64 | 1.2% |
334 of 5,166 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 28 reporting states.
Gray appears in 28 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
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What to do with Gray's data
- Gray's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (1,296 total births) through the 2020s (927) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- North Carolina records the most Grays (334 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. North Carolina names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Gray
Nearby Names Like Gray
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Gray
Compare Gray side by side: Gray vs Grant Gray vs Grayson Gray vs Graham
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Gray
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Gray: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2023)
Similar record span (~140 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1885–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Gray draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.