Gralin
A combination of the name elements "Grace" and "Lin", suggesting grace and beauty.
Name Census estimates that about 39 living Americans carry the first name Gralin. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Gralin today is around 66 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Gralin births was 1977 (9 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Gralin. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Gralin is about 66 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Gralins were born before 1970.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Gralin. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
39
~ 1 in 8,788,573 Americans
Peak year
1977
9 babies that year
Average age
66
years old
1977 SSA rank
#3,955
Tracked since 1954
Popularity
Gralin: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Gralin from the 1950s through to the 1970s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1950s, with 40 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1950s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Gralin by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Gralin during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Gralin
The name Gralin is thought to have its origins in the ancient Gaulish language, which was spoken by Celtic tribes in what is now modern-day France, Belgium, and parts of Germany. The name is believed to be derived from the Gaulish word "gral," which means "cup" or "chalice." This connection to the holy grail of Arthurian legend has led some scholars to speculate that the name may have been used as a symbolic name for children born into noble or religious families during the Middle Ages.
One of the earliest known references to the name Gralin can be found in a 9th-century manuscript from the Monastery of St. Gall in Switzerland, where a monk by the name of Gralin is mentioned as being part of the monastic community. This suggests that the name was in use among Christian religious orders during the early medieval period.
In the 11th century, a knight named Gralin de Montfort is recorded as having fought alongside William the Conqueror during the Norman invasion of England in 1066. This Gralin de Montfort is believed to have been a member of the noble Montfort family, which held lands in Normandy and played a prominent role in the conquest of England.
During the 12th century, a troubadour and poet named Gralin de Vielh from the Occitan region of southern France is known to have composed several lyrical works, some of which have survived to this day. His works provide insight into the cultural and literary traditions of the time, and his name suggests that the name Gralin was also in use among the educated classes of medieval France.
In the 14th century, a German scholar and alchemist named Gralin von Lauffen is mentioned in various texts as having conducted experiments in the pursuit of transforming base metals into gold. While his alchemical endeavors were ultimately unsuccessful, his name serves as an example of the name's use in Germanic regions during the late medieval period.
Another notable figure bearing the name Gralin was Gralin de Hainaut, a Flemish nobleman and military commander who fought in the Hundred Years' War between England and France in the 15th century. He is recorded as having participated in several key battles, including the Battle of Agincourt in 1415, where he was captured by English forces.
These examples demonstrate that the name Gralin, while not exceedingly common, has been in use across various regions of Europe, particularly among noble and educated classes, from the early medieval period through the Renaissance. Its connection to the Arthurian legends and the holy grail has likely contributed to its enduring appeal as a symbolic and evocative name choice throughout history.
People
Gralin + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Gralin as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with G
Other first names starting with G with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Gralin: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Gralin?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 39 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Gralin going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 8,788,573 US residents.
Is Gralin a common name?
We classify Gralin as "Very Rare". It ranks above 50.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 49 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Gralin most popular?
The single biggest year for Gralin was 1977, when 9 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Gralin is about 66 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Gralin in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Gralin a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Gralin in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Gralin still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Gralin in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Gralin can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people share the name Gralin?
Find out how many Americans are named Gralin on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.