Greyer
Of Germanic origin, referring to someone with gray hair or complexion.
Name Census estimates that about 61 living Americans carry the first name Greyer. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Greyer today is around 12 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Greyer births was 2008 (8 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Greyer. 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 Greyer. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
61
~ 1 in 5,618,924 Americans
Peak year
2008
8 babies that year
Average age
12
years old
2022 SSA rank
#13,007
Tracked since 2008
Popularity
Greyer: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Greyer 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 42 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2010s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Greyer 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 Greyer 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 Greyer
The given name Greyer has its origins in the Middle English language, emerging during the late medieval period in England. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "grēg," which means "gray" or "ashen," referring to the color. This suggests that the name may have initially been used as a descriptive term or nickname for someone with gray hair or a grayish complexion.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Greyer can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The entry mentions a landowner named Greyer of Lincolnshire, indicating that the name was already in use among the Anglo-Saxon population during that time.
In the 13th century, the name Greyer appeared in various English literary works, including several Middle English poems and ballads. One notable example is the poem "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight," which features a character named Greyer, a knight in the court of King Arthur.
During the Renaissance period, the name Greyer gained some prominence among the English nobility. One of the most well-known figures bearing this name was Greyer Walsingham (1510-1590), a statesman and diplomat who served as Secretary of State under Queen Elizabeth I. He played a crucial role in uncovering the Babington Plot, a Catholic conspiracy to assassinate the Queen.
Another notable individual with the name Greyer was Greyer Whittingham (1524-1589), an English clergyman and reformer who played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation. He was a prominent figure in the Church of England and was known for his efforts to promote religious education and reform.
In the 17th century, Greyer Bunyan (1628-1688), an English writer and Puritan preacher, gained fame for his influential work "The Pilgrim's Progress." Despite facing imprisonment for his nonconformist religious beliefs, Bunyan's allegorical novel became one of the most widely read books in the English language.
During the 18th century, Greyer Fielding (1707-1754), an English novelist and playwright, made a significant contribution to the development of the novel as a literary form. His works, including "The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling" and "Amelia," explored themes of human nature and social satire, and he is considered one of the founders of the English novel.
In the 19th century, Greyer Bronte (1816-1855), an English novelist and poet, gained fame for her novel "Jane Eyre," a pioneering work of feminist literature. Despite facing numerous challenges throughout her life, Bronte's writing explored themes of gender inequality, social class, and moral independence, making her a influential figure in the literary world.
People
Greyer + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Greyer 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
Greyer: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Greyer?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 61 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Greyer 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 5,618,924 US residents.
Is Greyer a common name?
We classify Greyer as "Very Rare". It ranks above 57.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 61 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Greyer most popular?
The single biggest year for Greyer was 2008, when 8 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Greyer 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 Greyer in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Greyer a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Greyer 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 Greyer still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Greyer 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 Greyer 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 have the name Greyer?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.