Greg
Meaningwatchful · English form of Gregory
- US rank
- #4,707
- Syllables
- 1
- Peak
- #77 in 1962
21 babies were named Greg in the US in 2025. It has dropped 566 places in five years.
Save adds it to your list. Vote moves it up the top voted names.
US births per million boys, 1915–2025
Similar names
Popularity: U.S. Social Security Administration (babies with 5+ births per year).
Did you know?
A few things about Greg you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.
Famous Greg
Greg Kinnear
American actor
Choose Greg and your child shares a first name with Greg Kinnear, an American actor. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Greg, like who?” Greg Kinnear's Wikipedia article is available in 49 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.
Read about Greg Kinnear on Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)Photo: Angel Schatz (Glamour Schatz) at https://www.flickr.com/photos/glamourschatz/, CC BY-SA 2.0 (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons
- How commonAbout 1 in every 81,301 baby boys born in the US in 2025 was named Greg, 21 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Greg would very likely be the only one.
- HistoryGreg first shows up in US birth records in 1915, the first year at least 5 babies got it. It has been in use for 110 years since.
- Best yearIt was far more popular in 1962, when it ranked #77. Today it's #4,707, so it could be due a comeback.
- Then vs nowGreg was 3.3× more common in 2000 than it is today. In 2000 it was given to about 1 in 24,876 baby boys; in 2025, about 1 in 81,301.
- TrendGreg has slipped 566 places over the last five years and now sits at #4,707. Good news if you want a familiar name that fewer kids will share.
- MeaningGreg is an English form of Gregory, which means “watchful”. Our records link it to Greek and Latin roots.
About the name Greg
Greg is a boy name of Greek and Latin origin meaning “watchful”. It has 4 letters and 1 syllable, starting with G and ending in “-reg”. US birth records list Greg for boys from 1915 to 2025, in 104 of those 111 years. Its best year was 1962, when it ranked #77 among boy names. In 2025 it ranked #4,707, with 21 babies.
Origin:Greek namesLatin names
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1910s | 1.6 | 609,756 boys |
| 1920s | 4.8 | 209,205 boys |
| 1930s | 23 | 44,267 boys |
| 1940s | 307 | 3,257 boys |
| 1950s | 877 | 1,141 boys |
| 1960s | 1,848 | 541 boys |
| 1970s | 687 | 1,456 boys |
| 1980s | 197 | 5,082 boys |
| 1990s | 70 | 14,314 boys |
| 2000s | 37 | 27,078 boys |
| 2010s | 19 | 53,390 boys |
| 2020s | 14 | 71,599 boys |
Other spellings of Greg
More Greek boy names
- Boy name: Theodore · gift of God
- Boy name: Mateo · gift of God
- Boy name: Lucas · man from Lucania
- Unisex name: Elias · my God is Yahweh
- Boy name: Sebastian · venerable
- Boy name: Leo · lion
- Boy name: Thomas · twin
- Unisex name: Miles · possibly gracious
Questions about the name Greg
What does the name Greg mean?
Greg means “watchful” in English, as a form of Gregory.
What is the origin of the name Greg?
Greg has Greek, Latin roots in our records. Other Greek names include Theodore, Mateo, Lucas.
Is Greg a boy or girl name?
Greg is a boy name.
How popular is the name Greg?
Greg ranked #4,707 for US boys in 2025, given to 21 babies. Its best year was 1962 (#77).