2000
#2,691
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,338
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.57
Uncommon Last name
Grey
A surname derived from a nickname referring to someone with gray hair or a gray beard.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 15,850 Americans carry the last name Grey. That puts it at #2,546 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.62 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 21,625 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Grey 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 Grey with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
16K
1 in 21,625
Census rank
#2,546
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
14K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 13,822 bearers of the surname Grey in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.62 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2546th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Grey, the largest self-reported group is White at 62.1%. The next largest groups are Black (22.7%) and Hispanic (6.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Grey
The surname Grey is of English origin and dates back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the Old French word "gris," meaning gray, which was used to describe someone with gray hair or a grayish complexion.
The earliest known record of the surname Grey can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is spelled as "Grai" or "Grei." This suggests that the name may have been introduced to England by Norman settlers after the Norman Conquest in 1066.
In the 12th century, the Grey family emerged as one of the most prominent noble families in England. The first recorded person with the surname Grey was Anchetil de Greye, who lived in Rotherfield Greys, Oxfordshire, in 1166.
Another notable figure was John de Grey, who was appointed Lord Chancellor of England in 1233. He played a crucial role in the development of English law and served as a regent during the minority of King Henry III.
In the 14th century, the Grey family gained further prominence with Reginald de Grey, who was appointed Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports in 1322. His descendants included Edmund Grey, Earl of Kent (c. 1420-1489), and Thomas Grey, Marquess of Dorset (1457-1501), who was a key figure in the Wars of the Roses.
During the Tudor period, Lady Jane Grey (1537-1554), a descendant of the Grey family, briefly reigned as Queen of England for nine days in 1553. Her claim to the throne was disputed, and she was eventually executed for treason.
Other notable individuals with the surname Grey include Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey (1764-1845), who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1830 to 1834 and was responsible for the Reform Act of 1832, and Zane Grey (1872-1939), an American author best known for his popular Western novels.
While the surname Grey has been spelled in various ways throughout history, including Grai, Grei, Greye, and Gray, the modern spelling of Grey is predominantly used in England and other English-speaking countries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Grey
Among Census respondents with the surname Grey, the largest self-reported group is White at 62.1%. The next largest groups are Black (22.7%) and Hispanic (6.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Grey 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 Grey surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White62.1% · 8,582
- Black or African American22.7% · 3,135
- Hispanic or Latino6.0% · 827
- Two or more races4.7% · 647
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.6% · 357
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.0% · 274
Timeline
Historical Census data for Grey
Grey 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
#2,845
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,680
+342 bearers (+2.8%)
Per 100,000 4.30
Rank movement Down 154 places
2020
#2,546
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,822
+1,142 bearers (+9.0%)
Per 100,000 4.62
Rank movement Up 299 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,691 | 12,338 | 4.57 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,845 | 12,680 | 4.30 | +342 bearers (+2.8%) | Down 154 places |
| 2020 | #2,546 | 13,822 | 4.62 | +1,142 bearers (+9.0%) | Up 299 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 Grey 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 | #2,845 | #2,546 | 10.5% |
| Count | 12,680 | 13,822 | 9.0% |
| Per 100K | 4.30 | 4.62 | 7.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Grey bearers went from 12,680 to 13,822 (+9.0% change). The surname moved up 299 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,845 to #2,546.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Grey
FAQ
Grey surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Grey?
Name Census estimates that about 15,850 living Americans carry the surname Grey. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 21,625 residents.
How common is Grey?
Grey ranks #2,546 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.62 per 100,000 residents, which is about 5 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 13,822 people with the surname Grey. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (15,850), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.62 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.62 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 5 of them to have the surname Grey.
Has Grey become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Grey went from 12,680 recorded bearers to 13,822. That is an increase of 1,142 (+9.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #2,845 to #2,546.
What does the Census say about the background of Grey?
Among Census respondents with the surname Grey, the largest self-reported group is White at 62.1%. The next largest groups are Black (22.7%) and Hispanic (6.0%). 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 Grey in the 2020 Census, accounting for 62.1% (8,582 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Grey appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (62.1%), Black (22.7%), Hispanic (6.0%). 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 Grey (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 Grey mean?
A surname 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 Grey (4.62 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 Grey?
You can see how many people have the last name Grey on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.