2000
#312
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 88,810
First available Census row
Per 100,000 32.92
Uncommon Last name
Gregory
Derived from the Greek name Gregorios, meaning "watchful, alert, or vigilant," and popularized by several early saints.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 98,367 Americans carry the last name Gregory. That puts it at #360 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 28.70 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,484 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gregory 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 Gregory with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
98K
1 in 3,484
Census rank
#360
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
28.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
86K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 85,781 bearers of the surname Gregory in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 28.70 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 360th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gregory, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.9%. The next largest groups are Black (15.0%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gregory
The surname GREGORY is of English origin, and it is derived from the given name Gregory, which ultimately comes from the Greek name Gregorios, meaning "watchful" or "vigilant." The name was introduced to Britain by the Christian missionaries who brought Christianity to the country in the 6th century.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname GREGORY can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landowners and property holders commissioned by William the Conqueror after the Norman Conquest of England. The name appears in various forms, such as Gregor, Gregori, and Gregorie, reflecting the different spellings used at the time.
One of the earliest known bearers of the surname GREGORY was Walter Gregory, who lived in Buckinghamshire, England, in the 13th century. Another notable figure was John Gregory (1607-1646), an English clergyman and religious writer who served as the Dean of Hereford and the Dean of Christ Church, Oxford.
In the 17th century, the GREGORY surname was associated with several prominent individuals, including David Gregory (1659-1708), a Scottish mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the development of calculus and the study of optics. Another notable bearer of the name was James Gregory (1638-1675), a Scottish philosopher, mathematician, and geometer who invented the first practical reflecting telescope.
The 18th century saw the rise of several influential figures with the surname GREGORY, such as John Gregory (1724-1773), a Scottish physician and writer who was a pioneer in the field of medical ethics. Another notable bearer of the name was Olinthus Gregory (1774-1841), an English mathematician and author who wrote several influential works on mathematics and science.
In more recent times, the GREGORY surname has been associated with individuals from various fields, including literature, politics, and sports. One prominent example is Dick Gregory (1932-2017), an American comedian, civil rights activist, and social critic who was a leading figure in the American Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s.
These examples illustrate the long and varied history of the surname GREGORY, which has been borne by individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions over the centuries. The name's Greek roots and its association with the spread of Christianity have contributed to its enduring presence and significance in English-speaking cultures.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gregory
Among Census respondents with the surname Gregory, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.9%. The next largest groups are Black (15.0%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Gregory 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 Gregory surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White75.9% · 65,086
- Black or African American15.0% · 12,846
- Two or more races4.2% · 3,603
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 2,960
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 660
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 626
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gregory
Gregory 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
#339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 91,384
+2,574 bearers (+2.9%)
Per 100,000 30.98
Rank movement Down 27 places
2020
#360
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 85,781
-5,603 bearers (-6.1%)
Per 100,000 28.70
Rank movement Down 21 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #312 | 88,810 | 32.92 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #339 | 91,384 | 30.98 | +2,574 bearers (+2.9%) | Down 27 places |
| 2020 | #360 | 85,781 | 28.70 | -5,603 bearers (-6.1%) | Down 21 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 Gregory 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 | #339 | #360 | -6.2% |
| Count | 91,384 | 85,781 | -6.1% |
| Per 100K | 30.98 | 28.70 | -7.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gregory bearers went from 91,384 to 85,781 (-6.1% change). The surname moved down 21 positions in the national ranking, going from #339 to #360.
FAQ
Gregory surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gregory?
Name Census estimates that about 98,367 living Americans carry the surname Gregory. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,484 residents.
How common is Gregory?
Gregory ranks #360 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 28.70 per 100,000 residents, which is about 29 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 85,781 people with the surname Gregory. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (98,367), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 28.7 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 28.70 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 29 of them to have the surname Gregory.
Has Gregory become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gregory went from 91,384 recorded bearers to 85,781. That is a decrease of 5,603 (-6.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #339 to #360.
What does the Census say about the background of Gregory?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gregory, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.9%. The next largest groups are Black (15.0%) and Two or More Races (4.2%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Gregory in the 2020 Census, accounting for 75.9% (65,086 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gregory appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (75.9%), Black (15.0%), Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Gregory (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 Gregory mean?
Derived from the Greek name Gregorios, meaning "watchful, alert, or vigilant," and popularized by several early saints. 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 Gregory (28.70 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 common is the surname Gregory?
Want to know how many Americans have the surname Gregory? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.