Grizzly
A name meaning "grizzled" or "grey-haired," referring to a large bear.
Name Census estimates that about 91 living Americans carry the first name Grizzly. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Grizzly today is around 6 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Grizzly births was 2019 (15 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Grizzly. 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 Grizzly. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
91
~ 1 in 3,766,531 Americans
Peak year
2019
15 babies that year
Average age
6
years old
2024 SSA rank
#6,572
Tracked since 2016
Popularity
Grizzly: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Grizzly 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 57 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
Grizzly 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 Grizzly 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 Grizzly
The given name Grizzly is a relatively modern name, first appearing in the late 19th century. It is derived from the English word "grizzly," which refers to a large, powerful brown bear native to North America. The name is likely inspired by the strength and ferocity associated with these animals.
The earliest recorded use of Grizzly as a first name dates back to the late 1800s in the United States. One of the first individuals known to have borne this name was Grizzly Adams, an American bear trainer and explorer born in 1812. Adams gained fame for his ability to capture and train grizzly bears, and his name became synonymous with the rugged wilderness of the American West.
Another notable figure named Grizzly was Grizzly Wolver, a Native American scout and interpreter born in the mid-19th century. Wolver was a member of the Cheyenne tribe and played a crucial role in translating and facilitating communication between Native Americans and the U.S. government during the turbulent period of westward expansion.
In the 20th century, the name Grizzly gained a certain literary significance with the publication of the novel "The Grizzly King" by Charles Romyn Dake in 1916. The book's protagonist, a character named Grizzly, became a symbol of rugged individualism and perseverance in the face of adversity.
One of the most famous individuals named Grizzly was Grizzly Ricky, a professional wrestler born in 1958. Ricky, whose real name was Richard Morgan, gained popularity in the 1980s and 1990s for his fierce persona and signature grizzly bear-inspired moves in the ring.
Another notable figure was Grizzly Alvinston, a Canadian lumberjack and logger born in 1925. Alvinston was renowned for his strength and skill in felling trees and his ability to work tirelessly in the harsh Canadian wilderness.
While the name Grizzly remains relatively uncommon, it has come to symbolize a connection to nature, strength, and resilience, drawing inspiration from one of North America's most iconic and powerful animals.
People
Grizzly + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Grizzly 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
Grizzly: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Grizzly?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 91 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Grizzly 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 3,766,531 US residents.
Is Grizzly a common name?
We classify Grizzly as "Very Rare". It ranks above 63.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 92 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Grizzly most popular?
The single biggest year for Grizzly was 2019, when 15 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Grizzly is about 6 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 Grizzly in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Grizzly a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Grizzly 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 Grizzly still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Grizzly 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 Grizzly 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 Grizzly?
Find out how many people share the name Grizzly on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.