Greg

Greg - A very unique male name

Greg appeared on the charts for the first time in 1925 on position #1821. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Greg and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Greg? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Greg. The baby boy name Greg was given to 5 baby boys in 2025, ranking #3987 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 293,257 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Greg peaked in popularity 65 years ago in 1961 on position 76.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Greg, 1-5?

Greg is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Greg is currently topping the baby name charts in California at position #2,591 - and is the least popular in California at position #2,591.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Greg is where you live.

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Greg origin and meaning

Short form of Gregory (Greek)

A short form of Gregory, from Greek gregoros, 'watchful, alert'

Greg is Gregory's clipped everyday form used as a name in itself, peaking in 1961 with 5,383 births in the full swing of mid-century short names. It has fallen continuously since, reaching #3987 in 2025.

Attested etymology

Greg is a 4 letter name with 1 syllables.

To see famous people named Greg, pop culture references for the name Greg and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Greg

We've found the following names that sound similar to Greg, sorted by popularity.

George / Gregg / Garrick / Gorge / Giorgio / Graig / Georgios / Georgie / Gehrig / Grace /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Greg

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Greg a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Greg?

1 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

GREG · /ɡrɛɡ/

Around the world

No traditional forms in other languages — this name was created in America in our own time.

Spellings and nicknames

• Gregory — The full name Greg shortens; a separate, established name.
• Gregg — A spelling variant with a doubled g.

Famous bearers

• Greg Louganis — Olympic diving champion, born Gregory Efthimios Louganis and universally known as Greg Louganis (b. 1960) Contemporary
• Greg Kinnear — Actor, born Gregory Buck Kinnear and known professionally as Greg Kinnear (b. 1963) Contemporary

Style

Short formNickname nameClassic

Why parents choose it

Greg is a plainspoken, friendly mid-century name now chosen mainly to honour a father or grandfather.

Worth knowing

• Strongly dated — it peaked in 1961 — and usually assumed to be short for Gregory.