Grayling
A color name from the grayish-purple hue of the grayling fish.
Name Census estimates that about 430 living Americans carry the first name Grayling. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Grayling today is around 63 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Grayling births was 1959 (61 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Grayling. 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.
People living today
430
~ 1 in 797,103 Americans
Peak year
1959
61 babies that year
Average age
63
years old
1994 SSA rank
#9,325
Tracked since 1950
Census
Grayling in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 385 people with the first name Grayling, which placed it at #24,842 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#24,842
National first-name rank
People counted
385
385 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.1
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
Black or African American
66.2% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Grayling
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Grayling is Black at 66.2%. The next largest groups are White (27.3%) and Two or More Races (4.4%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Grayling described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Grayling at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American66.2% · 255
- White27.3% · 105
- Two or more races4.4% · 17
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 4
Popularity
Grayling: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Grayling from the 1950s through to the 1990s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1950s, with 327 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
Grayling 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 Grayling during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Graylings live
The SSA's state-level files cover 11 states and territories. North Carolina, Louisiana, Alabama recorded the most babies named Grayling, while Virginia, Texas, Tennessee recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 10 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Grayling
The name Grayling is believed to have originated from the Old English word "grægling," which referred to a type of freshwater fish found in rivers and streams. This fish, known as the grayling, was prized for its delicate flavor and beautiful coloration. The name likely emerged as a surname or descriptive name among those who lived near areas where these fish were abundant or for those who may have been involved in fishing or trading grayling.
The earliest recorded use of the name Grayling as a given name dates back to the 16th century in England. It was initially more common as a surname, but over time, some families began using it as a first name, perhaps as a way to honor their ancestors or to reflect their connection to the natural world. The name's association with the grayling fish also imbued it with a sense of grace and elegance.
One notable historical figure who bore the name Grayling was Grayling Gibbons (1720-1776), an English engraver and medallist known for his exceptional craftsmanship. His works included coins, medals, and seals for various monarchs and institutions, and he played a significant role in the development of numismatic art during his time.
Another individual of note was Grayling Crosbie (1857-1935), a British author and journalist who wrote extensively on topics related to travel, exploration, and adventure. His works, such as "The Adventures of a Wanderer" and "In the Heart of the Rockies," chronicled his experiences in far-flung corners of the world and captured the spirit of exploration that characterized his era.
In the 19th century, Grayling Beveridge (1824-1901) was a prominent Scottish theologian and minister of the Free Church of Scotland. He was known for his scholarly works on church history and his contributions to the study of the Reformation in Scotland.
Another notable figure was Grayling Fortescue (1877-1951), a British army officer who served in World War I and later became a respected military historian. His books, including "The Army Service Corps" and "The British Army in North America," provided valuable insights into military logistics and strategy.
Grayling Faulkner (1901-1978) was an American artist and illustrator known for his vibrant and whimsical depictions of nature and wildlife. His works, which included book illustrations, murals, and paintings, captured the beauty and spirit of the natural world and were widely celebrated for their artistry and imagination.
While the name Grayling may not be as common today as it once was, its origins and historical associations with the natural world, craftsmanship, exploration, and artistic expression have left an indelible mark on the cultural tapestry of various societies.
People
Grayling + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Grayling 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
Grayling: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Grayling?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 430 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Grayling 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 797,103 US residents.
Is Grayling a common name?
We classify Grayling as "Very Rare". It ranks above 83.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 529 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Grayling most popular?
The single biggest year for Grayling was 1959, when 61 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Grayling is about 63 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Grayling in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 385 people with the name Grayling, or 0.13 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #24,842 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Grayling in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Grayling?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Grayling leans strongly male. 381 people counted with this name were male (98.4%), compared with 6 female bearers (1.6%). The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Grayling?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Grayling is Black at 66.2%. The next largest groups are White (27.3%) and Two or More Races (4.4%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Grayling most often in the Census?
Black is the largest reported group for people named Grayling in the 2020 Census, accounting for 66.2% (255 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
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 Grayling in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Grayling a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Grayling 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 Grayling still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Grayling 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 Grayling 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.
How common is the name Grayling?
If you just want to know how many people have the name Grayling, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.