UK boy's name
Grayson
Son of the bailiff, from the Old English occupational surname.
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Grayson is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Grayson popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #90, with 586 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2021, with 903 births.
This profile covers 7,636 England and Wales registrations across 20 recorded years from 2005 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 65% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 8,432 living people in the UK are called Grayson. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Grayson ranked #90 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 586 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2021, when 903 boys were registered as Grayson.
- • Grayson ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #62 in 2024.
- • About 8,432 living people in the UK are estimated to have Grayson as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#90
2024
Births in 2024
586
Latest year
Peak year
2021
903 births
Estimated living
8,432
2026
Meaning
What does Grayson mean?
The name Grayson is of English origin and is a relatively modern name, dating back to the late 18th century. It is believed to have been derived from the Old English surname "Grayson," which means "the son of a gray-haired man." This surname was originally formed by combining the words "gray" and "son."
The earliest recorded use of the name Grayson as a first name can be traced back to the late 1700s in England. However, it did not gain significant popularity until the 20th century. One of the earliest notable individuals with the name Grayson was Grayson Elliott (1782-1861), an American politician and lawyer who served as a Whig Party member of the United States House of Representatives from Virginia.
Another historical figure with the name Grayson was Grayson Campbell (1850-1929), an American lawyer and politician from Montana who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1901 to 1903. In the literary world, Grayson Hall (1922-1985) was an American actress and singer best known for her roles on television shows such as "Dark Shadows" and "Neon Ceiling."
Grayson Perry (born in 1960) is a contemporary British artist known for his ceramic vases and cross-dressing persona. He won the Turner Prize in 2003 and was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2013 for his services to contemporary art.
In the world of sports, Grayson Boucher (born in 1997) is an American streetball player and internet personality known for his basketball skills and trick shots. He has gained popularity on social media platforms for his impressive basketball videos.
While the name Grayson has its roots in England, it has gained popularity across various cultures and regions, especially in the United States. The name has a strong, masculine sound and is often associated with qualities such as strength, intelligence, and sophistication.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Grayson over time
The chart below shows babies named Grayson registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2005 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Grayson, the clearest high point is 2021. The latest England and Wales figure is 586 births in 2024, compared with 903 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Grayson by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Grayson was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #75 | 3,853 | 5 |
| 2010s | #226 | 3,707 | 10 |
| 2000s | #1998 | 76 | 5 |
Geography
Where Grayson is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Grayson. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Grayson ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #62 in 2024.
Across the UK
Grayson in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#62 in 2024
15 years of NRS records, 741 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#202 in 2024
10 years of NISRA records, 101 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Grayson
-
Grayson Perry
artist; ceramicist; printmaker; filmmaker; embroiderer; visual artist; graphic artist; writer; documentarian
English artist, writer and broadcaster (born 1960)
1960-
Related
Names similar to Grayson
- George 121,258
- Gabriel 20,581
- Gregory 2,925
- Guy 2,646
- Gareth 2,092
- Gethin 1,880
- Georgie 1,872
- Gary 1,575
- Gavin 1,422
- Giovanni 1,252
- Grant 1,199
- Greyson 1,165
FAQ
Grayson: questions and answers
How popular is the name Grayson in the UK right now?
In 2024, Grayson was ranked #90 for boys in England and Wales, with 586 births registered.
When was Grayson most popular?
The peak year on record was 2021, with 903 babies registered as Grayson in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Grayson?
Son of the bailiff, from the Old English occupational surname.
How many people are called Grayson in the UK?
A total of 7,636 babies have been registered as Grayson across the 20 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 741 more in Scotland and 101 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Grayson most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Grayson ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #62 in 2024. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.