Boy name · Greek
Gregory
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: watchful, alertGregory is a boy's name that comes from Greek and means "watchful, alert". It is used in English.
- Meaning
- Watchful, alert
- Origin
- Greek
- Gender
- Boy
- US rank
- #593 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Gregory
As a boy's name, Gregory comes from Greek and means "watchful, alert". It is used in English.
Gregory is also a surname: the 360th most common in the 2020 US Census, held by 85,781 people. See the most common last names.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Gregory on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Gregory on 3 lists.
“Watchful, alert; Greek. Greg for short; sixteen popes”
From Classic boy names, traditional Latin and Greek boy names
“Greek for watchful; sixteen popes chose it”
From Priest names, papal names
“Watchful, alert; Greek. The Great, pope from 590, sent missions to England”
From Medieval names and surnames, saints' names popular in medieval Europe
How popular is Gregory?
- US rank in 2025
- #593
- 493 babies, 289 per million boys
- Best rank
- #21 in 1962
- 21,976 babies that year
- Babies since 1880
- At least 711,893
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 36 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 81 per million |
| 1900s | 122 per million |
| 1910s | 164 per million |
| 1920s | 199 per million |
| 1930s | 357 per million |
| 1940s | 2,903 per million |
| 1950s | 8,827 per million |
| 1960s | 9,734 per million |
| 1970s | 6,997 per million |
| 1980s | 5,074 per million |
| 1990s | 2,674 per million |
| 2000s | 1,006 per million |
| 2010s | 557 per million |
| 2020s | 339 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #360 | #374 | #408 | #388 | #435 | #486 | #495 | #530 | #539 | #593 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Nicknames for Gregory
Established short forms and pet names, not made-up ones.
- Gregcommon English nickname
- Greggcommon English nickname
Other forms of Gregory
The same name in other languages and spellings, with the same meaning and origin.
- GreerWatchful, alert (Greek, unisex)
- GrégoireWatchful (Greek, boy)
- GregorWatchful, alert (Greek, boy)
- GregorioWatchful (Greek, boy)
- GrigoriosWatchful, alert (Greek, boy)
- GrigoryWatchful (Greek, boy)
- GriogairWatchful, alert (Greek, boy)
- GrzegorzWatchful, alert (Greek, boy)
Names with a similar meaning
Middle names for Gregory
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a shorter length, so the full name flows.
More boy names from Greek
- AlexanderDefender of men (Greek, boy)
- LucasMan from Lucania (Greek, boy)
- ChristianFollower of Christ (Greek, boy)
- LeonA lion (Greek, boy)
- HectorHolding fast (Greek, boy)
- TheoGift of God (Greek, boy)
- AlexisHelper, defender (Greek, boy)
- LucaMan from Lucania (Greek, boy)
- PeterRock, stone (Greek, boy)
- SebastianMan of sebaste, venerable (Greek, boy)
Gregory: common questions
What does the name Gregory mean?
Gregory comes from Greek and means "watchful, alert".
Is Gregory a boy or girl name?
Gregory is mainly a boy's name.
What are nicknames for Gregory?
Common nicknames for Gregory include Greg and Gregg.
How popular is the name Gregory?
Gregory ranked #593 in the US in 2025, with 493 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are other forms of Gregory?
Forms of Gregory with the same meaning and origin include Greer (Scottish), Grégoire (French), Gregor (Scottish), Gregorio (Italian) and Grigorios (Greek).
What middle names go with Gregory?
Middle names that flow well with Gregory include Alton, Asher, David, Dean and Drake. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.

