Meaning and history
Grace is an English name derived from the word grace, ultimately from Latin gratia, and was among the virtue names introduced by the Puritans in the 17th century. It was especially popular in the English-speaking world in the late 19th century, then declined for about a century before rising again at the end of the 20th century. The name was borne by actress Grace Kelly (1929–1982), and the sitcom Will and Grace (1998–2006) may have helped its revival, though it was already climbing before the show began; in 2006, it was the top girls’ name in England and Wales.
20062006: 10,974 births, rank #16
2007: 9,769 births, rank #20
2008: 9,042 births, rank #21
2009: 8,322 births, rank #17
2010: 7,692 births, rank #18
20112011: 7,642 births, rank #16
2012: 7,393 births, rank #21
2013: 7,387 births, rank #22
2014: 7,660 births, rank #20
2015: 7,680 births, rank #19
20162016: 7,617 births, rank #19
2017: 7,087 births, rank #21
2018: 6,789 births, rank #24
2019: 6,111 births, rank #28
2020: 5,627 births, rank #28
20212021: 5,542 births, rank #33
2022: 5,296 births, rank #35
2023: 4,908 births, rank #39
2024: 5,033 births, rank #40
20252025: 5,127 births, rank #38
Grace has completed an unusual full-circle journey. It ranked #19 for girls in 1880, fell to #398 by 1977, and then returned to #38 in 2025. Its highest annual birth count came in 2003, with 12,781 births.