GREY
The surname Grey is an English name that originated in the British Isles and is traditionally associated with the Christian faith.
Its earliest derivation is from the Old English word græg, meaning “grey.” The surname was originally a nickname applied to a person who had grey hair, a grey beard, or a greying complexion. Over time, the descriptive use of the word became inherited as a family name.
In Scotland and Ireland the surname also appears as a translation of the Gaelic word riabhach, which means “brindled” or “grey.” Gaelic bearers of the name were consequently rendered as Grey or Gray in English documents.
Another documented source of the name is the place called Graye in Calvados, Normandy. The place name derives from the Old Gallo‑Roman personal name Gratus, meaning “welcome” or “pleasing,” combined with the suffix ‑acum meaning settlement or village. Individuals originating from this locality may have adopted Grey as a locational surname.
A prominent historical bearer of the name was Lady Jane Grey (1537‑1554). She reigned as Queen of England for twenty days in 1553, from 9 July to 19 July, before being imprisoned and executed in 1554.
The first known recorded spelling of the family name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086: Anschitill Grai, a name found in Oxfordshire during the reign of King William I (the Conqueror), 1066‑1087.
Since medieval times the surname Grey has become fairly common and can be found in many English‑speaking countries, reflecting its broad adoption across Britain and the wider world.
Typical given names associated with the Grey surname
Male
- Andrew
- Christopher
- David
- James
- John
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Richard
- Robert
- Simon
- Stephen
Female
- Alison
- Amanda
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Helen
- Julie
- Margaret
- Mary
- Patricia
- Samantha
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Grey in...
Braille
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Morse
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Semaphore
There are approximately 7,516 people named Grey in the UK. That makes it roughly the 1,247th most common surname in Britain. Around 115 in a million people in Britain are named Grey.
Surname type: Nickname
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Grey
- Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey - Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (1764 to 1845)
- Frances Grey, Duchess of Suffolk - Duchess (1517 to 1559)
- Sasha Grey - American actress, model, musician and writer
- Keisha Grey - American pornographic actress
- Jennifer Grey - American actress
- Edward Grey, 1st Viscount Grey of Fallodon - Liberal statesman (1862 to 1933)
- Joel Grey - American actor, singer, dancer, director, and photographer
- Charles Grey, 1st Earl Grey - Army general (1729 to 1807)
- Charles Grey, 5th Earl Grey - Nobleman (1879 to 1963)
- Pamela Adelaide Genevieve Wyndham Glenconner Grey - Writer (1868 to 1928)
- Richard Grey, 6th Earl Grey - Hereditary peer (1939 to 2013)
- Beryl Grey - Ballet dancer
- Tony Grey - Musician
- Albert Grey, 4th Earl Grey - Politician and Governor General of Canada (1851 to 1917)
- Robert Grey - Musician
- Clifford Grey - Songwriter, actor, librettist and bobsledder (1887 to 1941)
- Philip Kent Grey, 7th Earl Grey - Hereditary peer
- Mary Grey, Countess Grey - Aristocrat and Countess of Grey as wife of Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey (1776 to 1861)
- Sir George Grey, 2nd Baronet - Politician (1799 to 1882)
- Charles Grey - Army general (1804 to 1870)
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.