How to say it
GRAY · son
/ˈɡreɪ.sən/
Masculine
Grayson
Son of the steward
What it means
Old English surname meaning 'son of the grayve' (a steward or bailiff), from Anglo-French graif. Mostly American as a first name, riding the masculine surname-first wave.
Grayson is an English surname meaning 'son of the grayve' (a grayve was a steward or bailiff in Norman-influenced English administration, from Anglo-French graif). The surname spread to the American colonies and stayed local until the early 2000s, when it caught the masculine surname-first wave. Grayson entered the US top 100 in 2013 and reached the top 50 in 2017. Gray is the standard short, also used as a given name in its own right.
Popularity over time
peaked at #32 in 2018, currently #51 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–present. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Nickname
Gray is the dominant short and is given as a standalone name too. Greyson with an E is the alternate spelling.
Who's worn it
Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.
- Dick Grayson The first Robin in DC Comics, later Nightwing
Spelling variants
- Greyson
- Gray
- Grey
Names with the same feeling
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