as a First Name
Via Latin Gregorius from the post-classical Greek name Gregōrios ‘watchful’ (a derivative of gregōrein ‘to watch, be vigilant’). The name was a very popular one among the early Christians, who were mindful of the injunction ‘be sober, be vigilant’ (1 Peter 5:8). It was borne by a number of early saints. The most important, in honour of whom the name was often bestowed from medieval times onwards, were Gregory of Nazianzen (c.329–90), Gregory of Nyssa (d. c.395), Gregory of Tours (538–94), and Pope Gregory the Great (c.540–604). A famous bearer of the name in modern times is the film star Gregory Peck (1916–2003). The name has traditionally been popular in Scotland, where it is often found in the form Gregor.
| 78th in the U.S. for 2011 |
Nicknames & variations
Quick facts
- Hundreds of thousands
- of people in the U.S have this name
- 555,352
- to be exact (as of February 2011)
- 697,712
- if you include dead people (since the government started keeping track)
- District of Columbia
- has the most people named Gregory per capita
- 1962
- marked the height of its popularity
0.11%
99.89%
24%
55+
55+
54%
30-54
30-54
15%
13-29
13-29
6%
0-12
0-12
Top state populations
U.S. Distribution Map
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