The Grayson surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 16,946 people carried this name — #2,138 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 17,400 people counted. That is up 5% from 16,158 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Grayson surname

A surname originating as an occupation or as a patronymic for a son of a steward.

From Middle English greyve (“steward”) + -son.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Grayson» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

Among the farmers of England and Wales, 1880s

Grayson was found among the farmers of 2 counties.

It was most frequent in Yorkshire, West Riding: 13 in every 10,000 farmers there — about 1 in 769. Guppy counted the farmers listed in each county’s directory and recorded a name only where it reached about 7 in every 10,000; where it does not appear, it was rarer than that, not absent.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Per 10,000 farmers, by county

Yorkshire, West Riding 13
Yorkshire, North and East Ridings 9

H. B. Guppy, «Homes of Family Names in Great Britain» (London, 1890), alphabetical list of English and Welsh names — public domain · farmers in Kelly’s Post Office Directories of the 1880s, per 10,000 farmers in each county.

In print

Grayson in American newspapers,
1891–1909.

Newspaper page from The Harlowton News carrying the name Grayson
The Harlowton News 1909-10-29
Newspaper page from The Harlowton News carrying the name Grayson
The Harlowton News 1909-07-02
Newspaper page from Grant County Herald carrying the name Grayson
Grant County Herald 1891-08-27

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 2,645 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Grayson in Australian newspapers,
1830s–1990s.

32,343 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Grayson. The most, 6,918, date from the 1900s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in Queensland, at 2.4 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Queensland 14,136
South Australia 7,582
New South Wales 5,756
Victoria 2,506
Western Australia 1,669
Tasmania 586
ACT (Canberra) 48
Northern Territory 10

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Grayson.

Who carried it

People named Grayson,
with a public archive behind them.

  • William Grayson
    William Grayson 1736–1790 · lawyer
  • William John Grayson
    William John Grayson 1788–1863 · lawyer
  • Peter W. Grayson
    Peter W. Grayson 1788–1838 · lawyer
  • John B. Grayson
    John B. Grayson 1806–1861 · military personnel
  • Dan Grayson d. 2021 · Canadian football player
  • Elizabeth Mulleneux d. 1868

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Grayson,
in the records of 6 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States974 records

974 records of the Grayson name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 473
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 237
  • Other U.S. records 264
  1. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Herman Lee Grayson

    Born 1949; from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. U.S. Army, infantryman; killed in action 1969 in Tay Ninh, South Vietnam. Buried at Port Hudson National Cemetery, Louisiana.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Llewellyn M. Grayson

    Born 1909 in Pennsylvania. Enlisted 1943 in the Women's Army Corps at Philadelphia; barber. U.S. Army Air Forces veteran of World War II; died 1949, buried at Beverly National Cemetery, New Jersey.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Robert Grayson

    Arrived at New York in 1885 aboard the City of Berlin from Liverpool and Queenstown, aged 36; laborer. From Yorkshire, England; bound for New York.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 974 records for Grayson in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia563 records

563 records of the Grayson name in Australia
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 272
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 195
  • Other Australian records 96
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Mary Ann Grayson

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Edward, sailing from Woolwich in 1834. Native of Liverpool, Lancashire. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1837. Married 1838 in New Norfolk, Tasmania.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Thomas Grayson

    Arrived in Victoria in 1860 aboard the Marco Polo, aged 33; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Harold William Grayson

    Retired clerk of Warrnambool, Victoria; died 2000.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 563 records for Grayson in Australia.

Counts: Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

Canada24 records

24 records of the Grayson name in Canada
  • City of Winnipeg cemetery records 7
  • City of Calgary cemetery records 4
  • Other Canadian records 13
  1. The first page of an emigration file from Gündlingen, Baden, 1883
    Example: German emigration file, 1883
    Emigration record Sam Grayson

    Left New York in 1783 aboard the Ranger, bound for Port Mattoon, aged 32.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Ed Grayson

    Came to Ontario in 1870 aboard the Strathblane, landing at Quebec, bound for London, Ontario; English.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  3. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Benjamin Grayson

    Died 1940; buried at Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver, British Columbia.

    City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver.

Showing 3 of 24 records for Grayson in Canada.

Counts: City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Emigration file, Gündlingen, 1883, Landesarchiv Baden-Württemberg, Staatsarchiv Freiburg B 694/1 Nr. 1389 (CC BY 4.0); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0).

United Kingdom21 records

21 records of the Grayson name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 20
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Willm Grayson

    Buried in 1835 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 32.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record G. Grayson

    West Yorkshire Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1919.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record J. E. Grayson

    Pioneer, Al Engineers. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1919.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 21 records for Grayson in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

France2 records

2 records of the Grayson name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Stanley Grayson

    Born 1919 in Great Britain; died 2001 in Lacour (Tarn-et-Garonne).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Bernard Henri Grayson

    Born 1922 in Angers; died 1982 in Huillé (Maine-et-Loire).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Netherlands1 record

1 record of the Grayson name in the Netherlands Dutch population registers
  1. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Laura Grayson

    In a population register.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Rotterdam (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Grayson.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Grayson is.
A volume says what happened to it.

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