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
Living On Own Means 99
General Labourer 87
General Servant Domestic 55
Coal Miner Hewer 40
Cook Domestic 39
Dress Maker 37
Scholar 34
Housemaid Domestic 29
Servant Domestic 29
Domestic Servant 25
Agricultural Labourer 25
Farmer 19
Blacksmith 18
Charwoman 18
Dock Labourer 16
School 16
House Maid Domestic 15
Laundress Wash 14
Dressmaker 14
Carpenter 13
Coal Hewer 13
Gardener Domestic 12
Nurse Domestic 12
Ordinary Agricultural Labourer 12
Domestic 11

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