Gray

由来と歴史

Descriptive surname from Old English and Old French 'grai' or 'grey', referring to a person with grey hair or a grey complexion, or possibly to someone who wore grey clothing. The Scottish form 'Gray' (with an 'a') is more common in Scotland than the English 'Grey'. The name was carried to Scotland by Norman settlers in the twelfth century — the de Gray family held lands in the Borders — and spread as a common descriptive surname across the Lowlands. Gray is concentrated in Angus, Perthshire, and the north-east, and has been borne by several notable figures in Scottish arts and literature.