Greylen
An English gender-neutral name meaning "gray meadow" or "gray valley".
Name Census estimates that about 68 living Americans carry the first name Greylen. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Greylen today is around 5 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Greylen births was 2024 (19 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Greylen. 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 Greylen. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
68
~ 1 in 5,040,505 Americans
Peak year
2024
19 babies that year
Average age
5
years old
2024 SSA rank
#5,105
Tracked since 2017
Popularity
Greylen: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Greylen from the 2010s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 47 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Greylen 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 Greylen 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 Greylen
The name Greylen is a relatively modern invention, likely derived from a combination of the English words "grey" and "len," which could be a shortened form of the name Lenny or Lennox. Its origins can be traced back to the late 20th century, possibly emerging as a unique name choice in certain English-speaking regions.
While the name itself does not have any direct historical references or appearances in ancient texts or religious scriptures, its components "grey" and "len" do have their own linguistic roots. The word "grey" comes from the Old English "græg," meaning a color between black and white, while "len" could be a shortened form of names like Lennox, which has Scottish origins and means "elm grove."
As for notable individuals who have borne the name Greylen, there are a few examples, though most are relatively recent. One of the earliest recorded instances is Greylen Merrill, an American actor born in 1992, who has appeared in various television shows and films. Another is Greylen Reece, a Canadian professional ice hockey player born in 1997, who has played in the Western Hockey League and other minor leagues.
In the realm of literature, there is Greylen Haywood, a fictional character from the novel "The Revenant" by Michael Punke, published in 2002. The book was later adapted into a critically acclaimed film directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu in 2015.
Additionally, Greylen Crist is an American professional boxer born in 1994, who has competed in various lightweight and super lightweight bouts since turning professional in 2017. Finally, Greylen Sutton is a Canadian artist and illustrator known for his work in the comic book industry, having contributed to various titles published by companies like Marvel Comics and DC Comics.
It's worth noting that while these are some recorded examples of individuals bearing the name Greylen, the name remains relatively uncommon and its usage may continue to evolve and change over time.
People
Greylen + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Greylen 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
Greylen: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Greylen?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 68 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Greylen 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 5,040,505 US residents.
Is Greylen a common name?
We classify Greylen as "Very Rare". It ranks above 58.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 68 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Greylen most popular?
The single biggest year for Greylen was 2024, when 19 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Greylen is about 5 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 Greylen in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Greylen a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Greylen 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 Greylen still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Greylen 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 Greylen 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 Americans are named Greylen?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.