Grigory

Grigory is a masculine given name, primarily used in Russia and other Slavic countries. It is the Russian form of Gregory, which ultimately derives from the Greek name Grigorios, meaning "watchful" or "vigilant." The form Grigory is common in Russian and Ukrainian contexts, with several variant spellings such as Grigoriy, Grigori, and Grigory; the English equivalent is Gregory. The name has also given rise to diminutives such as Grisha.

In Christian tradition, the name is associated with saints named Gregory, including Gregory the Theologian and Gregory of Nyssa, whose feast days are observed in various calendars. The name has been borne by emperors and statesmen and remains widely used in post-Soviet countries.

Prominent people named Grigory include Grigory Rasputin (1869–1916), the mystic who influenced the late Russian court; Grigory Potemkin (1728–1791), a statesman and favorite of Catherine the Great; Grigory Yavlinsky (born 1952), economist and politician; and Grigory Perelman (born 1966), the mathematician who proved the Poincaré conjecture.

In modern usage, Grigory is typically used in formal or official contexts, with the informal form Grisha used among family and friends. The name is part of the broader Gregory tradition and remains recognizable across Slavic-speaking regions, with various transliterations used in non-Slavic languages.