Gregory

Where the name comes from

• Greek, via Late Latin
  watchful, wakeful
  Greek grēgorios (γρηγόριος), from grēgorein "to watch"; Late Latin Gregorius
  Attested origin. DMNES (2023): "Greek γρηγόριος 'watchful, alert' from Greek γρηγoρεῖν 'to watch'". etymonline: Late Latin Gregorius, literally "wakeful" (equivalent to Latin Vigilantius), from PIE *ger- "to be awake". Popular association: "flock" or "shepherd", from Latin grex/gregarius. etymonline says the name was "At times confused with Latin gregarius", so this is a confusion, not the origin.

Gregory across traditions

• Christian (Roman Catholic and Western). Pope Gregory I the Great (pope 590–604) sent the mission that converted the English, and Gregorian chant is traditionally credited to him. Pope Gregory XIII (pope 1572–1585) introduced the Gregorian calendar in 1582. England and the American colonies adopted it only in 1752 (etymonline).
• Armenian Christian. St. Gregory the Illuminator (240–332, about 1,786–1,694 years ago) reputedly converted King Tiridates about the year 300. Britannica calls Tiridates "the first monarch in history to impose Christianity on his people".
• Medieval Europe. DMNES records the name from the 7th–8th centuries (2017 ed.: "c680 Gregorio") across about 20 countries from Portugal to Finland. etymonline says it was popular in England and Scotland by the mid-12th century.
• United States (SSA). 647,334 births in the SSA decade top-200 tables, 1950s–2010s. Peak decade: the 1960s, at #23 for boys (187,495 births). Top 100 from the 1950s through the 1990s. Sources: ssa.gov/oact/babynames/decades/names1950s.html through names2010s.html.

Who carried it

• St. Gregory the Illuminator (240–332 (about 1,786–1,694 years ago)): Apostle of Armenia. He reputedly converted King Tiridates about the year 300 (Britannica).
• Pope Gregory I (the Great) (pope 590–604): Sent the mission that converted the English. Gregorian chant is traditionally credited to him (etymonline).
• Pope Gregory XIII (pope 1572–1585): Introduced the Gregorian calendar in 1582 (etymonline).

Forms in other languages

Gregorius, Gregorio, Gregori, Grégoire, Gregers, Gergur, Gregorie

Gregory in letter-number systems

Hebrew, Greek and other traditions gave every letter a number, and read meaning into the totals. These are the counts, computed; the readings are inside the Innerverse.