Gregory (given name)

Gregory

Pope Gregory I (Gregory the Great)
Pronunciation	/ˈɡrɛɡəri/
Gender	Male
Origin
Word/name	Greek via Latin
Meaning	watchful, alert
Region of origin	worldwide
Other names
Related names	Greg, Gregg, Gregor, Grégoire, Grigory, Ory, Grzegorz, Ari, Craig, Graig, McGregor, MacGregor

The masculine first name Gregory derives from the Latin name "Gregorius", which came from the late Greek name "Γρηγόριος" (Grēgórios) meaning "watchful, alert" (derived from Greek "γρηγoρεῖν" "grēgorein" meaning "to watch").

Through folk etymology, the name also became associated with Latin grex (stem greg–) meaning "flock" or "herd". This association with a shepherd who diligently guides his flock contributed to the name's popularity among monks and popes.

Sixteen popes and two antipopes have used the name Gregorius, starting with Pope Gregory I (Gregory the Great). It is tied with Benedict as the second-most popular name for popes, after John. Because of this background, it is also a very common name for saints.

Although the name was uncommon in the early 20th century, after the popularity of the actor Gregory Peck it became one of the ten most common male names in the United States in the 1950s and has remained popular since.

Name days

The Roman Catholic Church traditionally held the feast of Saint Gregory (the Great) on March 12, but changed it to September 3 in 1969. March 12 remains the name day for Gregory in most countries.

Gregory the Theologian (also known as Gregory of Nazianzus) is one of the Three Hierarchs (Ancient Greek: Οἱ Τρεῖς Ἱεράρχαι; Greek: Οι Τρεις Ιεράρχες). The other two are Basil the Great, also known as Basil of Caesarea and John Chrysostom. All three have separate feast days in January: Basil on January 1, Gregory on January 25, and Chrysostom on January 27.

Forms in different languages

• Albanian: Grigor, Gërgur
• Arabic: Jurayj (جريج), Jirījūrī (جريجوري), Ghirīghūrī (غريغوري)
• Armenian: Գրիգոր (Western Armenian: Krikor; Eastern Armenian: Grigor)
• Belarusian: Рыгор (Ryhor), Грэгары (Hrehary)
• Bengali: গ্রেগরি ( Grēgari)
• Bulgarian: Григор (Grigor)
• Catalan: Gregori
• Chinese: 格雷戈里 (Géléigēlǐ), 格里高利 (Gélǐgāolì)
• Croatian: Grgur, Grga or Grgo
• Czech: Řehoř
• Danish: Gregers
• Dutch: Gregoor, Gregorius
• English: Gregory, also Gregg, Greg
• Estonian: Reigo
• Faroese: Grækaris
• Finnish: Reijo
• French: Grégory or Grégoire
• Georgian: გრიგოლი (Grigoli, Grigori)
• German: Gregor
• Greek: Γρηγόριος (Grigorios, Gri̱górios, Gregorios), Γρηγόρης (Grigoris, Gregoris)
• Gujarati: ગ્રેગરી (Grēgarī)
• Hebrew: גרגורי
• Hindi: ग्रेगोरी ( Grēgōrī)
• Hungarian: Gergely, Gergő or Transylvanian: Gerő
• Icelandic: Gregor
• Indonesian: Gregorius
• Irish: Gréagóir
• Italian: Gregorio
• Japanese: Guregori (グレゴリー)
• Kannada: ಗ್ರೆಗೊರಿ, Gregori
• Korean: 그레고리오 (Geulegolio)
• Latin: Gregorius
• Latvian: Gregors
• Lithuanian: Grigalius, Grigas or Gregoras, Gregorijus
• Macedonian: Григориј, Grigorij
• Marathi: ग्रेगोरी (Grēgōrī)
• Mongolian: Грегори, Gryegori
• Nepali: ग्रेगरी, Grēgarī
• Norwegian: Greger or Gregers
• Persian: گرگوری
• Polish: Grzegorz
• Portuguese: Gregório
• Romanian: Grigore or Gligor
• Russian: Григорий (Grigoriy, Grigori, Grigory), with diminutives Гришa (Grisha), Гришка (Grishka); Грегори (Gregori)
• Scots: Gregor
• Serbian: Grigorije (Григорије), Gligorije (Глигорије), or Grgur (Гргур)
• Slovak: Gregor
• Slovene: Grega or Gregor
• Spanish: Gregorio
• Swedish: Greger
• Tamil: கிரிகோரி, Kirikōri
• Telugu: గ్రెగొరీ, Gregorī
• Thai: เกรกอรี or เกรกกอรี (Gregori, Greggori, Krekori, Krekkori)
• Turkish: Krikor or Grigor
• Ukrainian: Григір (Hryhir), Григорій (Hryhoriy), Грегорі (Hrehori) Гриць(ко) (Hryts(ko))
• Urdu: گریگوری
• Welsh: Grigor
• Yiddish: גרעגאָרי, Gregori

People

Religious figures

Ordered chronological, when feasible

• Pope Gregory (disambiguation), a list of popes and antipopes
• Patriarch Gregory (disambiguation)
• Saint Gregory (disambiguation)
• Gregory Asbestas (fl. 844–880), archbishop of Syracuse
• Gregory of Nin, 10th century Croatian bishop and reformer
• Gregory of Narek (c. 950–1003/1011), Armenian monk, poet, philosopher and theologian
• Gregory Palamas (c. 1296–1357 or 1359), theologian, archbishop and monk
• Gregory of Rimini (c. 1300–1358), philosopher and theologian
• Gregory IV of Athens, Metropolitan of Athens in 1827–1828
• Gregory Karotemprel (born 1933), Syro-Malabar bishop

Aristocrats

Ordered chronologically

• Gregory of Benevento (died 739/740), Italian duke
• Gregory I of Naples, Duke of Naples (739–755)
• Gregory II of Naples, Duke of Naples (767–794)
• Gregory III of Naples, Duke of Naples (864–870)
• Gregory IV of Naples, Duke of Naples (898–915)

Other

Ordered alphabetically

• Greg Abbott (born 1957), American politician
• Gregg Allman (1947–2017), American musician
• Gregg Araki (born 1959), American film director
• Gregory Berrios (born 1979), Puerto Rican volleyball player
• Gregory Glenn Biggs, homeless American murder victim struck by a car and left in the windshield to die
• Greg Camarillo (born 1982), American football player
• Gregory Chamitoff (born 1962), American astronaut
• Gregory Chaney (born 1981), American politician
• Gregory Charles (born 1968), Canadian musician and singer
• Greg Davies (born 1968), Welsh comedian and actor
• Greg Dobbs (born 1978), American baseball player
• Gregory Gaye (1900–1993), Russian-American actor
• Greg Gianforte (born 1961), American businessman and politician
• Gregory Gray (1959–2019), Northern Irish musician
• Greg Hartle (born 1951), American football player
• Gregory Helms (born 1974), American professional wrestler
• Gregory Henriquez (born 1963), Canadian architect
• Gregory Hines (1946–2003), American dancer, actor, singer and choreographer
• Greg Kindle (born 1950), American football player
• Gregory La Cava (1892–1952), American film director
• Greg Lake (1947–2016), British musician, singer, and guitarist, founding member of King Crimson and Emerson, Lake & Palmer
• Greg Lamberson (born 1964), American author and filmmaker
• Grégory Lemarchal (1983–2007), French singer
• Greg LeMond (born 1961), American professional road bicycle racer
• Greg Louganis (born 1960), American Olympic champion diver and LGBT activist
• Greg Luzinski (born 1950), American baseball player
• Greg Maddux (born 1966), American baseball player
• Gregory Mertens (1991–2015), Belgian footballer
• Greg Norman (born 1955), Australian golfer and entrepreneur
• Greg Page (musician) (born 1972), Australian musician and actor, founding member and original lead singer of The Wiggles
• Gregory Peck (1916–2003), American actor
• Gregory Porter (born 1971), American singer, songwriter, and actor
• Greg Potter, American comic book writer
• Gregory Rudelson (born 1988), Israeli judoka and belt wrestler
• Greg Rusedski (born 1973), Canadian-English tennis player
• Gregory Rusland, Surinamese politician
• Gregory Smith (born 1986), American professional wrestler better known as Gregory Iron
• Greg Tribbett (born 1968), guitarist of the American alternative metal band Mudvayne

Fictional characters

• Gregory Herd, a fictional character appearing in Marvel Comics stories
• Gregory House, the main character of House
• Greg Sanders, a forensic detective in the show CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
• "Gregory" (The Walking Dead), in the comic book series and television series, both titled The Walking Dead
• Greg Universe, father of the titular character of Steven Universe