The Gray surname
In the 2010 U.S. Census, 246,116 people carried this name — #87 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 1,200 people counted. That is up 4% from 236,713 in 2000.
In Ireland’s birth registers, 1890
Ireland registered 117 births for the Gray name in 1890.
They were registered in all four provinces, most of all in Ulster. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 5,200 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time. 20 of them were indexed under other spellings of the name. The Registrar-General’s note on the name: “Antrim, Down, Londonderry, and Dublin.”
Where it concentrates, on the mapWhere they were born, 1890
Registrar-General for Ireland, «Special Report on Surnames in Ireland» (R. E. Matheson, 1894), births index of 1890 — public domain.
In Argentina’s national register
At least 332 people named Gray live in Argentina.
RENAPER only publishes a name in a province when more than ten people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Buenos Aires Province.
Where it concentrates, on the mapWhere they live today
RENAPER (National Registry of Persons, Argentina), surnames of residents by province, December 2021 — CC BY 4.0.
In France’s civil register
France’s register of deaths holds 271 people named Gray.
91 of them were born outside France. Those born in France came from 44 départements, most often Paris.
Where it concentrates, on the mapWhere they were born
Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.
In Poland’s population register
171 people named Gray have a registered home in Poland.
Of the 293 in Poland’s national register, these are the ones with a permanent address on file. They live in 13 of Poland’s 16 voivodeships, most of all in Greater Poland.
Where it concentrates, on the mapWhere they live today
PESEL register, Ministry of Digital Affairs of Poland (dane.gov.pl) — CC0 · living people by voivodeship of permanent residence, 20 January 2026.
In Switzerland’s population statistics
157 people named Gray live in Switzerland.
They live in 12 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, most of all in Zurich.
Where it concentrates, on the mapWhere they live today
Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO), «Surnames of the permanent resident population by canton», 2025, opendata.swiss/en/dataset/nachnamen-der-standigen-wohnbevolkerung-nach-kanton3 · names with fewer than 3 bearers in a canton are not published.
In the Nordic population registers
225 people named Gray are counted in Sweden and Finland.
Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published. Finland counts its citizens, at home or abroad.
Counted, by country
Own calculations based on data from Statistics Sweden (SCB), surnames with at least two bearers, 31 December 2022 — CC BY 4.0 (names with 20 or more bearers shown) · Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV), Finland, surname statistics, August 2026 — CC BY 4.0.
In print
Gray in American newspapers,
1901–1932.
Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 4,433,096 pages in all carry the name.
Who carried it
People named Gray,
with a public archive behind them.
-
Harrison Gray 1711–1794 · politician -
George Gray 1725–1800 · politician -
William Gray 1750–1825 · politician -
John Gray 1755–1829 · chairperson -
John Gray 1764–1868 · military personnel
Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons (CC0) · 158 lives in all are documented under this name.
Nearby in the index
Surnames next to Gray.
- Graveline 838 · U.S. census
- Gravelle 2,219 · U.S. census
- Graves 84,179 · U.S. census
- Gravier 241 · U.S. census
- Gravil 123 · U.S. census
- Gravina 648 · U.S. census
- Grazi 136 · U.S. census
- Grazia 106 · U.S. census
- Graziani 1,253 · U.S. census
- Graziano 7,559 · U.S. census
- Grazioli 278 · U.S. census
- Grazzini 150 · U.S. census
When the index is not enough
This page says where Gray is.
A volume says what happened to it.
Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.