Grey
A surname with two main roots: a nickname for someone with grey hair or complexion, and, in some noble lines, a locational name tied to Grey's Thurrock in Essex.
The #2,845 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 24,349 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Grey usually began as a nickname from Middle English grei/gray, meaning “grey” or “hoary,” often referring to hair colour, complexion, or an older person. In some cases it was also taken as a locational surname from places called Grey or from Grey's Thurrock in Essex. The spelling Grey is the older or more traditional English form, alongside Gray.
History
Bardsley treats Grey mainly as a nickname surname, while Lower discusses the famous de Grey family and the tradition linking them to Grey's Thurrock in Essex. The surname appears in both ordinary parish records and in noble medieval lineages, so more than one origin is possible for different families. Gray/Grey later became widespread across Britain and beyond, with spelling often varying by region and family preference.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
One well-known medieval branch was styled de Grey, and one of their estates gave rise to the name Grey's Thurrock.
From the historical record
“son. GREY. jMost genealogists derive this ancient and noble family from Fulbert, chamljerlain to Eobert, duke of Normandy, who held by his gift the castle of Croy, in Picardy, from Avhence the name is assumed to have been borro\ved. There is liowtA^er no evidence for this ; for the pedigree is only traced to Henry…”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom