2000
#12,705
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,232
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.83
Rare Last name
Grays
Derived from a nickname referring to someone with gray hair or a gray beard.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,805 Americans carry the last name Grays. That puts it at #12,160 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.82 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 122,194 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Grays surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Grays with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.8K
1 in 122,194
Census rank
#12,160
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,446 bearers of the surname Grays in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.82 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12160th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Grays, the largest self-reported group is Black at 82.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.5%) and White (6.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Grays
The surname GRAYS has its origins in the British Isles, dating back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "graeg," meaning "gray" or "gray-haired." This suggests that the name was initially given as a descriptive nickname to someone with gray hair.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the GRAYS surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears in various spellings, such as "Grai," "Graye," and "Grays," reflecting the evolution of language and spelling over time.
The GRAYS surname is also associated with several place names in England, such as Grays Thurrock in Essex and Grays Inn in London. These place names likely originated from individuals bearing the surname GRAYS who either owned or resided in those areas.
Notable historical figures with the surname GRAYS include Sir Thomas Grays (c. 1359-1417), an English soldier and diplomat who served under King Henry IV and fought in the Battle of Shrewsbury during the Wars of the Roses. Another prominent figure was Robert Grays (c. 1608-1672), an English merchant and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the GRAYS surname gained prominence in Scotland, where it was often spelled as "Gray" or "Grey." One notable Scottish figure was Andrew Gray (c. 1633-1656), a renowned poet and writer who was part of the Scottish Renaissance literary movement.
In the United States, the GRAYS surname can be traced back to early colonial times, with families migrating from England and Scotland. One prominent American with this surname was Elisha Gray (1835-1901), an inventor and entrepreneur who is credited with developing and patenting several groundbreaking inventions, including an early version of the telephone.
Throughout history, the GRAYS surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including soldiers, politicians, writers, and inventors. Its origins as a descriptive nickname and its association with place names in England and Scotland have contributed to its enduring presence across multiple generations and geographic locations.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Grays
Among Census respondents with the surname Grays, the largest self-reported group is Black at 82.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.5%) and White (6.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Grays bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Grays surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American82.7% · 2,022
- Two or more races6.5% · 158
- White6.1% · 150
- Hispanic or Latino4.3% · 106
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Grays
Grays appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#12,825
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,404
+172 bearers (+7.7%)
Per 100,000 0.81
Rank movement Down 120 places
2020
#12,160
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,446
+42 bearers (+1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.82
Rank movement Up 665 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,705 | 2,232 | 0.83 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,825 | 2,404 | 0.81 | +172 bearers (+7.7%) | Down 120 places |
| 2020 | #12,160 | 2,446 | 0.82 | +42 bearers (+1.7%) | Up 665 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Grays surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #12,825 | #12,160 | 5.2% |
| Count | 2,404 | 2,446 | 1.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.81 | 0.82 | 1.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Grays bearers went from 2,404 to 2,446 (+1.7% change). The surname moved up 665 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,825 to #12,160.
FAQ
Grays surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Grays?
Name Census estimates that about 2,805 living Americans carry the surname Grays. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 122,194 residents.
How common is Grays?
Grays ranks #12,160 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.82 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,446 people with the surname Grays. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,805), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.82 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.82 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Grays.
Has Grays become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Grays went from 2,404 recorded bearers to 2,446. That is an increase of 42 (+1.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #12,825 to #12,160.
What does the Census say about the background of Grays?
Among Census respondents with the surname Grays, the largest self-reported group is Black at 82.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.5%) and White (6.1%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Grays in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.7% (2,022 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Grays appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (82.7%), Two or More Races (6.5%), White (6.1%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Grays (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Grays mean?
Derived from a nickname referring to someone with gray hair or a gray beard. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Grays (0.82 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Grays?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.