Gray (surname)

Gray (surname)

Gray is a surname of Scottish or Irish origin, and may refer to many people.

Among the Scottish and Irish Grays, the surname usually has a Gaelic source. Similar to most Irish and Scottish surnames, Gray is usually a literal translation or a phonetic transcription brought on by the English, forcing "Anglicization" of the original Gaelic surnames of both countries. A phonetic transcription of the Gaelic "MacRaith" (sounds like Mc-Raw) and commonly translates to "McGrath" or "McGraw" (meaning "son of grace") but can also turn up as "Gray." The literal translation of Gaelic to English is Mac Giolla Riabhaigh, Mac Riabhaigh, or Ó Riabhaigh, meaning 'son/grandson of the gray.'

In England, the name is typically of Norman origin, stemming from the town of Grayes in Calvados, France. Most English names today were brought to England during the Norman conquest of the 11th century.