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