Total births
529
Boys' name · since 1950
Grayling
Grayling has 529 recorded births since 1950 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1959 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- 529
- total births
- 1950–1994
- years on record
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 62%
- born in that decade
Grayling is not among the current top-ranked boys names; 529 have been recorded since 1950.
Grayling has 529 recorded births among boys since 1950, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used boys names, busiest in the 1950s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1950 to 1994.
- 529 total births
- 1950–1994 years on record
- 1950s peak decade
- 62% born in that decade
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
529 boys have been named Grayling since 1950, peaking in the 1950s, last recorded in 1994.
- 529
- total births
- 1950–1994
- years on record
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 62%
- born in that decade
1950s
Peak decade
62% of everyone ever named Grayling was born in this single decade.
1959
Single peak year
61 babies were named Grayling in 1959 - its busiest year on record.
Grayling's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Grayling's SSA record in two at 1964 and the more recent half accounts for 19% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 81%, consistent with a name more common in the past than in recent years. Its calmest year was 1972, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1959 peak of 61, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Grayling at a glance
Last recorded 1994Peak year
1959
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1950
Grayling popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1950–1994
- Peak year (1959)
- 61
- Annual births at peak, across 45 years of records
Grayling by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1950s was Grayling's strongest decade.
327 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 62% of all-time use.
Grayling births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1950s
1950s
327 births
- 1960s 120
1960s
120 births
- 1970s 12
1970s
12 births
- 1980s 53
1980s
53 births
- 1990s 17
1990s
17 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 327 births (62% of all-time use).
How Grayling 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 Grayling's total volume
Grayling vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Grayling by state
Where Grayling concentrates geographically, total births since 1950
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | North Carolina | | 32 | 6.0% |
| #2 | Louisiana | | 16 | 3.0% |
| #3 | Alabama | | 11 | 2.1% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 11 | 2.1% |
| #5 | Georgia | | 6 | 1.1% |
| #6 | Missouri | | 6 | 1.1% |
| #7 | Michigan | | 5 | 0.9% |
| #8 | Ohio | | 5 | 0.9% |
North Carolina share of Grayling's total US births 6.0%
Even split
32 of 529 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 11 reporting states.
Grayling appears in 11 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Grayling? ▼
Grayling has been given to 529 babies in the U.S. since 1950, according to SSA data. Its last appearance in the data was 1994. 61 babies were born in 1959, its single highest year.
When was Grayling most popular? ▼
Grayling was most popular in the 1950s decade with 327 total births. The single peak year was 1959.
Where is Grayling most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Grayling are North Carolina (32 births), Louisiana (16 births), Alabama (11 births).
How long has the name Grayling been used? ▼
Grayling has been recorded in Social Security data since 1950, spanning 45 years of data through 1994.
What names are similar to Grayling? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Grant, Grayson, Graham, Grady, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Grayling's data
- Grayling's decade-level peak was the 1950s (327 total births); usage has since declined to 17 in the 1990s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- North Carolina records the most Graylings (32 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. North Carolina names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Grayling
Nearby Names Like Grayling
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Grayling
Grant Boy
#241 136,462 births
Grayson Boy
#48 128,994 births
Graham Boy
#129 61,436 births
Grady Boy
#372 52,474 births
Granville Boy
#12350 5,501 births
Compare Grayling side by side: Grayling vs Grant Grayling vs Grayson Grayling vs Graham
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Data Sources
Data as of June 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, 1950–1994 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Grayling: Baby Name Since 1950 - 529 Births, Peak 1959." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/grayling. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
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 Grayling 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 June 2026.