Gregory

Gregory is a masculine given name and, less commonly, a surname. It derives from the Latin Gregorius, which comes from the Greek Gregórios, meaning “watchful” or “vigilant.” The name spread through the Christian world in Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages and remains common in many languages. Variants include Gregor (German and Baltic), Grégoire (French), Gregorio (Spanish and Italian), and Grigor/Grigori (Slavic and Greek forms).

Religious and historical significance is central to the name. Saint Gregory I, known as Gregory the Great, was pope from 590 to 604 and is credited with broad church reforms and the standardization of liturgy. Gregory Nazianzen and Gregory of Nyssa are two prominent Church Fathers who helped shape early Christian theology. A number of popes bore the name Gregory across the medieval and early modern periods, reflecting the name’s enduring clerical prestige in Western Christianity.

In modern times, Gregory remains a widely used given name in the English-speaking world and beyond. It has appeared across literature, film, and public life, with notable bearers such as the actor Gregory Peck and the fictional physician Gregory House from the television series House M.D. The surname Gregory is also common in English-speaking countries, though less prevalent than the given name.

Overall, Gregory embodies a long-standing cultural and religious resonance, maintained by its lifelong presence in naming traditions, literature, and history.