Grey Name Origin, Meaning and Family History

Grey Name Meaning: Thought to have derived from the Anglo Saxon word 'graeg' meaning 'grey'. May have also been taken from the place name 'Graye' in France.

An Anglo-Saxon nickname which referred to someone with grey coloured hair. May have also been taken from the place name 'graye' in France for someone who lived there.

Discover how your Grey 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

Grey Surname Statistics


Top Professions for the Grey family

Profession Census Frequency
Scholar 570
Agricultural Labourer 220
House Servant 135
Farm Labourer 77
Labourer 74
Servant 63
Coal Miner 56
Dress Maker 46
At Home 45
Annuitant 42
General Servant 36
Pauper 35
Laundress 27
Blacksmith 26
House Keeper 23
Scholar At Home 22
House Maid 20
Cook 19
Tailor 18
Carpenter 16
Gardener 16
Farm Servant 14
Shoe Maker 14
Nurse 13
Painter 12

Grey Surname Variants Ranking

Rank Surname Match Census Frequency
1 Gray 75% 210,083
2 Grey 100% 43,115
3 Geary 40% 15,928
4 Gary 50% 1,867
5 Garey 80% 1,488
6 Gorey 80% 1,122
7 Gury 50% 1,007
8 Gearey 67% 621
9 Gery 50% 461
10 Greey 80% 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 Grey is the 2nd most popular variant of Gray.

Search for the Grey family