| Grayson | Lincoln | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Son of the steward | Lake colony |
| Origin | English | English |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | GRAY-sun | LINK-un |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1905 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 2017 (8,718) | 2017 (8,202) |
| In 2025 | 5,805 | 4,703 |
| Trend | Rising | Rising |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Grayson | Lincoln |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 40,746 | 33,535 |
| 2010s | 66,408 | 52,017 |
| 2000s | 14,167 | 8,804 |
| 1990s | 4,732 | 1,693 |
| 1980s | 1,092 | 1,158 |
| 1970s | 393 | 1,318 |
| 1960s | 282 | 1,260 |
| 1950s | 247 | 818 |
| 1940s | 241 | 845 |
| 1930s | 212 | 852 |
| 1920s | 273 | 1,302 |
| 1910s | 189 | 905 |
| 1900s | 12 | 176 |
| 1890s | 0 | 141 |
| 1880s | 0 | 94 |
Grayson comes from an English surname meaning “son of the greyward (a steward)” or “son of Gray.” A surname-name that soared for boys in recent decades.
An English place name, from Roman Lindum Colonia, “colony by the pool.” Borne by a US president.
Grayson is more popular than Lincoln today: about 5,805 US babies were given the name Grayson in 2025, compared with 4,703 named Lincoln.
Grayson means Son of the steward (English origin), while Lincoln means Lake colony (English origin).
In US records, Grayson first appears in 1905 and Lincoln in 1880, so Lincoln has the longer recorded history.