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Name at a glance

Grace

Grace is an English virtue name meaning favor, mercy, or undeserved kindness.

Ranked #38 in US baby names in 2025, peaked at #13 in 1883, declining over the past 5 years.

Grace is one of the central words of Christian theology, used for God's generous favor toward people.

Browse names
OriginEnglish from Latin
GenderGirl
FeelGentle
PronunciationGRAYS

Is Grace biblical?

As a word, not a person

Biblical status Biblical word or concept

Grace is not a biblical personal name; it appears in the New Testament as a central concept for God's freely given favor, cited in the record at John 1:16.

Is Grace a Christian name?

Yes, as a virtue name

Christian tradition Virtue or theological name

Grace is an English virtue name expressing the theological concept of God's favor, part of the post-Reformation virtue-name tradition.

Plain answer

Grace is not the name of a biblical person, but it is one of the clearest Christian virtue names, drawn from a central New Testament concept.

Confidence High Last reviewed July 19, 2026 How this works

Meaning

The meaning of Grace

Grace comes through Old French and Latin from gratia, meaning favor, thanks, goodwill, or kindness. As a name, Grace belongs to the Christian virtue-name tradition, where families used words for spiritual qualities as personal names.

Sound

How to pronounce Grace

Phonetic
GRAYS
IPA
/ɡɹeɪs/

1 syllable · stress: GRAYS · ends in a consonant

Forms

Variants and nicknames

Alternate spellings

  • Gratia
  • Graziella
  • Graça

Short forms and nicknames

  • Gracie
  • Gray

Languages

Grace in other languages

Latin
Gratia
Spanish
Gracia
Italian
Grazia
Portuguese
Graça

Christian background

Christian and biblical background

Grace is not the name of a biblical person, but the concept is everywhere in the New Testament. In Christian teaching, grace usually means God's favor given freely, not earned by human effort.

Bearers

Notable people named Grace

  • historical

    Grace KellyAmerican actress and Princess of Monaco, 1929 to 1982

  • historical

    Grace HopperAmerican computer scientist and US Navy rear admiral, pioneer of the COBOL language, 1906 to 1992

  • modern

    Grace SlickAmerican singer with Jefferson Airplane and Starship, born 1939

  • modern

    Grace JonesJamaican-American singer, model, and actress, born 1948

  • modern

    Grace CoddingtonWelsh-born American creative director long associated with Vogue, born 1941

Naming history

Naming tradition and history

Grace became especially common in English-speaking Christian culture after the Reformation and remained strong through later virtue-name revivals. In the United States, it feels both traditional and current, with a clear meaning that is easy for families and churches to understand.

Recent US use

Grace in recent US use

Rank in 2025
#38
Peak rank
#13 in 1883
Recent trend
declining over the last 5 years
Years in the SSA records
146 (since 1880)

Source: US Social Security Administration baby name data, 1880-2025.

Sibling fit

Sibling name suggestions

For families

For families looking at Grace

For a baby, Grace signals kindness, beauty, and a distinctly Christian idea without sounding formal or heavy. Gracie is the natural nickname, while Grace itself works well as both a first name and a middle name.

Common questions

What does Grace mean?

Grace means favor, mercy, or undeserved kindness. In Christian use, it often refers to God's generous favor.

Is Grace in the Bible?

Grace is a major biblical concept, though it is not the name of a biblical character.

Is Grace a Christian name?

Yes. Grace is one of the clearest Christian virtue names in English.

Sources

Sources for Grace

  • The Gospel according to John, King James Version (KJV 1769)Supports: grace as a biblical concept.
  • Oxford English Dictionary, "grace" (from Latin gratia), Oxford University PressSupports: etymology; meaning.
  • The Oxford Dictionary of English Christian Names, E. G. Withycombe (3rd edition)Supports: virtue-name naming history.
  • National baby names data, US Social Security Administration (2025 release)Supports: US popularity.

Last reviewed July 19, 2026. See our methodology, or report an error on the corrections page.

Read next

Related names

EmmaA Christian heritage name commonly paired with Grace as a middle name or sibling name in modern Christian families.HannahHannah's Hebrew root means grace; Hannah and Grace are semantic siblings across two languages.FaithThe other major Christian virtue name; Faith and Grace appear in the same Pauline theological vocabulary (Ephesians 2:8).