Grayton
A name meaning a settlement on gravel-covered land.
Name Census estimates that about 187 living Americans carry the first name Grayton. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Grayton today is around 12 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Grayton births was 2013 (16 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Grayton. 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
187
~ 1 in 1,832,911 Americans
Peak year
2013
16 babies that year
Average age
12
years old
2024 SSA rank
#8,533
Tracked since 2003
Popularity
Grayton: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Grayton from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 112 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Grayton remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Grayton 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 Grayton during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Graytons live
Origin
Meaning and history of Grayton
The given name Grayton has its origins in the Old English language, specifically derived from the word "grēat" meaning "great" or "large." It was commonly used as a surname in England during the medieval period, often referring to a person's physical stature or perhaps their standing in society.
One of the earliest recorded instances of Grayton as a first name dates back to the 13th century. In the Pipe Rolls of Cumberland from 1285, a man named Grayton de Wigton is mentioned as a landowner in the region. This suggests that the name had already gained recognition and use among the nobility and landed gentry of the time.
During the Renaissance period, the name Grayton gained popularity, particularly in the literary circles of England. One notable bearer of the name was Grayton Foxe, a 16th-century poet and playwright who was a contemporary of William Shakespeare. His works, though not widely known today, were praised by his contemporaries for their wit and eloquence.
In the 17th century, a prominent figure bearing the name Grayton was Sir Grayton Hartley, a renowned English explorer and navigator. He is credited with charting several uncharted islands in the South Pacific and contributing to the advancement of cartography during the Age of Exploration.
As the British Empire expanded, the name Grayton found its way to the colonies. In the late 18th century, Grayton Pemberton was a influential landowner and politician in the Virginia Colony. He played a significant role in the American Revolution and was a delegate to the Continental Congress.
Another notable bearer of the name was Grayton Everett, a 19th-century British botanist and naturalist. He made significant contributions to the study of plant life in the tropics and was responsible for the discovery and classification of several new species during his expeditions to South America and the Caribbean.
While the name Grayton may not be as prevalent today as it once was, it has left an indelible mark on history, with its bearers making notable contributions in various fields such as literature, exploration, politics, and science. The name's rich heritage and origins in Old English continue to make it a unique and intriguing choice for parents seeking a name steeped in history and tradition.
People
Grayton + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Grayton 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
Grayton: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Grayton?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 187 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Grayton 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 1,832,911 US residents.
Is Grayton a common name?
We classify Grayton as "Very Rare". It ranks above 73.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 189 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Grayton most popular?
The single biggest year for Grayton was 2013, when 16 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Grayton is about 12 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 Grayton in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Grayton a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Grayton 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 Grayton still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Grayton 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 Grayton 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 are called Grayton?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.