Greg

Greg: name meaning, origin & popularity

Meaning: “watchful, alert”
Origin: Greek
Say it: GREG · 1 syllable
Used for: Boys

Short form of Gregory, from Greek Gregorios, derived from gregorein 'to watch, be alert'. Widely used as an English nickname and standalone name.

English names Names meaning wisdom Short names Classic names

How popular is Greg?

20246.9 per million US babies

Drag the line or the slider to read any year. Values are per million US births recorded by Social Security. Records before about 1937 undercount births, so early peaks can look taller than they were.

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Babies named Greg in 202423

2024 rank#4,428 boys

Peak year1962

Total US babies since 188077,835

Greg is steady now but far below its 1962 peak.

Names like Greg

Variants, related forms and names with the same roots.

Gregorywatchful, alert · Greek
Greerwatchful, alert · Scottish Gaelic
Gregoriowatchful, alert · Greek
Greggwatchful, alert · Greek
Theodoregift of God · Greek
Sebastianfrom Sebaste · Greek
Alexanderdefender of men · Greek
Lukefrom Lucania · Greek

Greg questions

What does the name Greg mean?

Greg means "watchful, alert". It comes from Greek. Short form of Gregory, from Greek Gregorios, derived from gregorein 'to watch, be alert'. Widely used as an English nickname and standalone name.

Is Greg a boy or girl name?

Greg is mainly a boy's name in US records (100% of uses since 1880).

How popular is Greg?

23 US babies were named Greg in 2024. Its peak year was 1962.

How do you pronounce Greg?

Greg is usually pronounced GREG.

Birth counts: US Social Security Administration national data, 1880–2024 (names given to 5+ babies of a sex in a year). How we write meanings.