boy's name
Grady
GRAY-dee
- Origin Irish
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 5
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 55,041
the United States
#373
2025 births
Grady means noble, and it comes from a byname rather than a rank — the Irish grádha describes someone held in esteem, which is a reputation earned rather than a title inherited. The O'Gradys held land in Limerick and Clare.
- Grady is a name of Irish origin.
- Peaked in 2008, when 1,203 babies were given the name.
- Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 3,855 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1887.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Grady over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 49 |
| 1890s | 468 |
| 1900s | 793 |
| 1910s | 4,140 |
| 1920s | 5,771 |
| 1930s | 4,835 |
| 1940s | 4,633 |
| 1950s | 4,060 |
| 1960s | 2,941 |
| 1970s | 2,142 |
| 1980s | 1,482 |
| 1990s | 1,790 |
| 2000s | 5,948 |
| 2010s | 9,277 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 4,886 |
What Grady means
Grady means noble or illustrious. The Irish word describes standing in the eyes of others, so the sense is esteem rather than inherited rank by those around them.
Where Grady comes from
Grady anglicizes the Irish Ó Grádaigh, descendant of Gráda — from grádha, noble or illustrious, related to grádh, love or esteem. The O'Gradys held land in Limerick and Clare and are recorded as a branch of the Dál gCais, the kindred that produced Brian Boru. Its use as a given name is American and twentieth-century, following the general pattern of Irish surnames crossing over.
Grady in use
Grady peaked in the United States in 2008, when 1,203 babies were registered, and our data marks it stable rather than falling. It charts in exactly one of the six markets we track, at 373rd in the United States on 860 births, across 55,041 lifetime births. Our records carry it from 1887, though its strongest years are the last two decades.
How popular is Grady?
In 2025, Grady was given to 860 babies in the United States, ranking #373 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Grady is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Grady
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Grady also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Grady over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Sibling names for Grady
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Grady — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Grady
What does the name Grady mean?
Noble or illustrious — the Irish grádha, related to grádh, esteem.
Who were the O'Gradys?
A Limerick and Clare family, recorded as a branch of the Dál gCais.
Is Grady a surname?
Originally, yes. Its use as a given name is American and twentieth-century.
How popular is Grady?
373rd in the United States, and stable rather than falling in our data.
Is Grady a girl's or a boy's name?
Grady is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Grady?
Grady has 2 syllables.
Is Grady a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Grady currently ranks #373 in the United States. Its usage has held steady over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.