Gray
Boy name · #1418 in 2025 · Uniqueness 72/100
Gray ranks #1418 among American boys' names as of 2025, with 128 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #1271, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 14,063 boys born in 2025 was named Gray.
The 140-year story
Gray first appears in the Social Security records in 1885, when 5 boys received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2023, with 175 babies and a rank of #1172. Names at their peak can keep climbing — or be one trend cycle from the long slide that eventually hits most popular names. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Gray per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Gray against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Gray in class?
Gray scores 72 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "rare" band. A high score means genuine rarity — your Gray will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Gray is most common
Geography matters for names, and Gray is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Grays were TX (13), TN (11), AL (7), CA (7), MO (7). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
Names like Gray
Statistically, parents drawn to Gray tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Bray, Grey, Klay, Gentry, and Levy.
BrayGreyKlayGentryLevyConwayGianIlan
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Gray | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 128 | #1418 |
| 2024 | 142 | #1344 |
| 2023 | 175 | #1172 |
| 2022 | 164 | #1209 |
| 2021 | 167 | #1179 |
| 2020 | 151 | #1237 |
| 2019 | 156 | #1218 |
| 2018 | 148 | #1244 |
| 2017 | 145 | #1256 |
| 2016 | 144 | #1266 |
| 2015 | 141 | #1271 |
| 2014 | 127 | #1348 |
| 2013 | 121 | #1387 |
| 2012 | 120 | #1391 |
| 2011 | 97 | #1587 |
| 2010 | 97 | #1612 |
| 2009 | 89 | #1731 |
| 2008 | 77 | #1874 |
| 2007 | 81 | #1795 |
| 2006 | 70 | #1919 |
| 2005 | 54 | #2206 |
| 2004 | 54 | #2164 |
| 2003 | 57 | #2006 |
| 2002 | 46 | #2249 |
| 2001 | 51 | #2050 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Gray a popular boy name?
Gray ranked #1418 among boys in 2025 with 128 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #1271.
When was the name Gray most popular?
Gray peaked in 2023, when 175 American boys received the name (ranked #1172 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Gray?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 14,063 newborn American boys was named Gray. It scores 72/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "rare".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.