Greigh
A male name derived from the Germanic element "grai", meaning "gray".
Name Census estimates that about 6 living Americans carry the first name Greigh. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Greigh today is around 9 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Greigh births was 2017 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Greigh. 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
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Greigh. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
6
~ 1 in 57,125,723 Americans
Peak year
2017
6 babies that year
Average age
9
years old
2017 SSA rank
#11,239
Tracked since 2017
Popularity
Greigh: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Greigh 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 Greigh during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 6 | 0 | 6 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Greigh
The name Greigh is believed to have originated from the Old Norse language, which was spoken by the Germanic peoples of Scandinavia and their descendants during the Viking Age, approximately from the 8th to the 11th centuries. It is derived from the Old Norse word "greið," meaning "bright" or "shining."
In ancient Norse mythology, the name Greigh may have been associated with the goddess Sól, the personification of the sun. Some scholars suggest that Greigh could have been a title or epithet used to describe individuals with a radiant or luminous presence.
The earliest recorded instance of the name Greigh dates back to the 9th century, when it appeared in the Icelandic Sagas, a collection of narratives written in Old Norse prose. One notable figure bearing this name was Greigh Thorvaldsson, a Viking warrior and explorer who is said to have accompanied Erik the Red on his voyage to Greenland in the late 10th century.
In the 12th century, a Norwegian chieftain named Greigh Arneson was mentioned in the Heimskringla, a collection of sagas written by the famous Icelandic scholar and poet Snorri Sturluson. Greigh Arneson was known for his leadership and valor during the civil wars that plagued Norway at the time.
During the Middle Ages, the name Greigh appeared sporadically in various historical records across Scandinavia. One notable figure was Greigh Magnusson, a 14th-century Swedish nobleman and military commander who played a significant role in the Swedish-Danish wars.
In the 16th century, a Danish explorer named Greigh Eriksen was part of the expeditions that explored the coasts of Greenland and attempted to establish settlements there. His accounts of these voyages provided valuable insights into the Arctic regions during that era.
Another historical figure with the name Greigh was the 17th-century Norwegian poet and playwright, Greigh Olafsson, who gained recognition for his satirical works and contributions to the development of Norwegian literature.
While the name Greigh is relatively rare today, it continues to hold significance in Scandinavian culture, serving as a reminder of the region's rich Viking heritage and the enduring influence of Old Norse language and mythology.
People
Greigh + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Greigh 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
Greigh: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Greigh?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 6 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Greigh 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 57,125,723 US residents.
Is Greigh a common name?
We classify Greigh as "Very Rare". It ranks above 22.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 6 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Greigh most popular?
The single biggest year for Greigh was 2017, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Greigh is about 9 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 Greigh in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Greigh a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Greigh 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 Greigh still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Greigh 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 Greigh 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 named Greigh?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.