NameCensus.

UK boy's name

Gregor

A masculine given name of Greek origin meaning "watchful" or "alert".

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.

Gregor is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Gregor popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #3688, with 5 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1997, with 44 births.

This profile covers 505 England and Wales registrations across 27 recorded years from 1996 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 11% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 3,549 living people in the UK are called Gregor. 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

  • Gregor ranked #3688 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 5 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 1997, when 44 boys were registered as Gregor.
  • Gregor ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #277 in 1999.
  • About 3,549 living people in the UK are estimated to have Gregor as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#3688

2024

Births in 2024

5

Latest year

Peak year

1997

44 births

Estimated living

3,549

2026

Meaning

What does Gregor mean?

The name Gregor has its origins in the Greek language and culture. It is derived from the Greek word "gregorios," which means "watchful" or "vigilant." The name can be traced back to the ancient Greek world and was particularly popular during the Byzantine era.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Gregor can be found in the writings of the early Christian Church. Saint Gregory the Illuminator, who lived in the 3rd and 4th centuries, was an influential figure in the spread of Christianity in Armenia. He is revered as the patron saint of the Armenian Apostolic Church.

Another prominent historical figure bearing the name Gregor was Pope Gregory I, also known as Gregory the Great. He served as the Bishop of Rome from 590 to 604 AD and is considered one of the most influential popes in the history of the Catholic Church. Pope Gregory I played a crucial role in the development of the liturgy and is credited with initiating the Gregorian chants, which are still used in Catholic services today.

In the 6th century, Gregor of Tours, a Gallo-Roman historian and Bishop of Tours, wrote a seminal work titled "Historia Francorum" (History of the Franks). This chronicle is considered one of the most valuable sources of information about Merovingian Gaul and the early history of the Franks.

During the Middle Ages, the name Gregor gained popularity across Europe. One notable bearer of the name was Gregor Mendel, an Austrian monk and botanist who lived from 1822 to 1884. Mendel is renowned for his groundbreaking work on the principles of heredity, which laid the foundation for the modern study of genetics.

Another famous Gregor was Gregor Strasser, a German politician who lived from 1892 to 1934. He was a prominent member of the Nazi Party in its early years but was later executed during the Night of the Long Knives purge due to his opposition to Hitler's leadership.

Throughout history, the name Gregor has been associated with individuals from various fields, including religion, science, politics, and the arts. While its origins can be traced back to ancient Greece, the name has transcended cultural boundaries and continues to be used in various parts of the world today.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Gregor over time

The chart below shows babies named Gregor registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 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 Gregor, the clearest high point is 1997. The latest England and Wales figure is 5 births in 2024, compared with 44 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Gregor
011223344199620102024

Decades

Gregor by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Gregor 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 #3129 18 3
2010s #2306 92 10
2000s #927 259 10
1990s #564 136 4

Geography

Where Gregor is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Gregor. 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.

Gregor ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #277 in 1999.

Scotland
14
Northern Ireland
3

Across the UK

Gregor in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#278 in 2024

51 years of NRS records, 3,098 total registered

Northern Ireland (NISRA)

#277 in 1999

1 years of NISRA records, 3 total registered

Notable bearers

Famous people named Gregor

  • Gregor Hiddleston

    rugby union player

    Scottish rugby union player

    2002-

  • Gregor Ramsay

    racing driver

    British racing driver

    1996-

  • Gregor Robertson

    association football player; podcaster

    Scottish footballer (born 1984)

    1984-

  • Gregor Poynton

    politician

    British politician, from 2024, member of the UK Parliament

    1982-

  • Gregor Tait

    swimmer

    British swimmer, Olympic athlete, Commonwealth Games gold medallist

    1979-

  • Gregor Maiden

    cricketer

    Scottish cricketer (born 1979)

    1979-

  • Gregor Hayter

    rugby union player

    rugby player

    1976-

  • Gregor Rioch

    association football coach; association football player

    English footballer (born 1975)

    1975-

Related

Names similar to Gregor

FAQ

Gregor: questions and answers

How popular is the name Gregor in the UK right now?

In 2024, Gregor was ranked #3688 for boys in England and Wales, with 5 births registered.

When was Gregor most popular?

The peak year on record was 1997, with 44 babies registered as Gregor in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Gregor?

A masculine given name of Greek origin meaning "watchful" or "alert".

How many people are called Gregor in the UK?

A total of 505 babies have been registered as Gregor across the 27 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 3,098 more in Scotland and 3 in Northern Ireland.

Where is Gregor most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Gregor ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #277 in 1999. 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.