Gregory (given Name)
Gregory is a masculine first name. It is derived from the Latin name "Gregorius", which was from the late Greek name "Γρηγόριος" (Grēgorios) meaning "watchful, alert" (derived from Greek "γρήγoρηῖν" "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.
There have been 16 popes with the name, starting with Pope Gregory I (Gregory the Great). It is the second-most popular name for pope, 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 1950s and has remained popular since.
Read more about Gregory (given Name): Name Days, Forms in Different Languages
Famous quotes containing the word gregory:
“Who does not know that kings and rulers sprang from men who were ignorant of God, who assumed because of blind greed and intolerable presumption to make themselves masters of other men, their equals, by means of pride, violence, bad faith, murder, and almost every other kind of crime? Surely the devil drove them on.”
—Pope Gregory VII (c. 1020–1085)