Gray Name Origin, Meaning and Family History

Gray Name Meaning: From the nickname for someone with gray hair or a gray beard.

From the Old English \"graeg\", meaning \"gray\", this was used as a nickname for someone with gray hair or a gray beard. The distinction between the spellings (British \"grey\" and US \"gray\") developed in the 20th Century.

Discover how your Gray ancestors earned their living and spread across the country. Find out more about your family history by using the Free Search box.

Surname Distribution

Census frequency by county

Name Concentrations Within England and Wales

Gray Surname Statistics


Top Professions for the Gray family

Profession Census Frequency
Agricultural Labourer 726
Female Servant 559
Independent 401
Labourer 277
Male Servant 200
Farmer 171
Shoe Maker 103
Coal Miner 101
Tailor 98
Carpenter 78
Ag Labourer 75
Dress Maker 66
Gardener 56
Blacksmith 52
Apprentice 43
Clerk 41
Copper Miner 41
Laundress 35
Mariner 35
Ag Lab 33
Joiner 32
Grocer 31
Butcher 30
Baker 30
Weaver 30

Gray Surname Variants Ranking

Rank Surname Match Census Frequency
1 Gray 100% 210,083
2 Grey 75% 43,115
3 Geary 60% 15,928
4 Gary 50% 1,867
5 Garey 60% 1,488
6 Gorey 60% 1,122
7 Gury 50% 1,007
8 Gearey 50% 621
9 Gery 50% 461
10 Greey 60% 212
11 Groy 75% 204
12 Gory 50% 200
13 Greay 80% 190
14 Gry 75% 123
15 Geory 40% 107

Did you know?

The surname Gray is the most popular version of all its varients

Search for the Gray family