Grace (given name)

Grace
	Grace Darling (1815-1842) popularized the name Grace in the Anglosphere.
Gender	Female
Origin
Word/name	Latin
Meaning	"Gracious"

Grace is a female name from the Latin gratia.^[1] It is often given in reference to the Christian concept of divine grace and used as a virtue name. As one of the theological virtues, Grace was in regular use by English Puritans in the 16th through the 18th centuries. The name also has connotations of physical grace, beauty, and charm.

The name was revived in the mid 19th century and was popularized in the Anglosphere by the fame of Grace Darling, a British woman who saved nine people from a shipwreck in 1838. Usage of the name increased for British girls in the late 1830s and 1840s. Many British and Irish girls named Grace then immigrated to the United States, where they passed the name Grace down to their descendants. Grace declined in use in the United Kingdom after 1870, but ranked among the top 100 names given to American girls from the 1860s to the late 1930s. The name was out of fashion from the 1940s through the 1980s, but rose in popularity in the Anglosphere after 1990. Usage of the name increased due to popular culture influences such as a character on the American television comedy series Will and Grace, which originally aired from 1998 to 2006.^[2]

Variants

French: Grâce
English: Gracie
Albanian: Greis, Graciela
Italian: Grazia, Graziella
Indonesian: Grace, Graciela, Gratia, Gracia
Latin: Gratia
Polish: Gracja
Portuguese: Graça, Gracília
Spanish: Gracia, Graciela
Basque: Garazi
Bulgarian: Грация
Serbo-Croatian: Gracija

Notable people

A

Grace Abbott (1878–1939), American social worker
Grace Adams (born 1995), Ghanaian footballer
Grace Aguilar (1816–1847), English novelist and writer on Jewish history and religion
Grace Akallo (21st century), Ugandan child soldier
Grace Akello (born c. 1940), Ugandan poet, essayist, folklorist and politician
Grace Albee (1890–1985), American printmaker and wood engraver
Grace Alekhine (1876–1956), American-British-French female artist and chess master
Grace Alele-Williams (1932–2022), Nigerian mathematician and university vice-chancellor
Grace Alexander (1872–1951), American writer, journalist, teacher
Grace Greenwood Ames (1905–1979), American artist who worked predominantly in Mexico
Grace Andreacchi (born 1954), American-born author
Grace Andrews (mathematician) (1869–1951), American mathematician
Grace Apiafi (born 1958), Nigerian shot putter and discus thrower
Grace Arnold (1899–1979), English actress
Grace Ayensu, Ghanaian politician

B

Mary Grace Baloyo (died 2001), First Lieutenant in the Philippine Air Force
Grace Bannister (1924–1986), Unionist politician in Northern Ireland
Grace Bardsley (1920–1972), Australian Aboriginal rights activist and political activist
Grace Barnsley (1896–1975), English pottery decorator
Grace Bauer, American poet
Grace Bawden (born 1992), Australian classical crossover singer
Grace Bedell (1848–1936), American woman who influenced Abraham Lincoln to grow his famous beard
Grace Benham (1876–1968), American silent film actress
Grace Folashade Bent (born 1960), Nigerian politician
Grace Berger (born 1999), American professional basketball
Grace Beverley (born 1997), English entrepreneur, influencer, and podcaster
Grace Bilger (1907–2000), American artist
Grace Birungi (born 1973), Ugandan runner
Grace Blakeley (born 1993), English economics and politics commentator, columnist, journalist and author
Grace Lee Boggs (1915–2015), Chinese-American author, social activist and feminist
Grace Bonney (born 1981), American author, blogger, and entrepreneur
Grace Bowman (equestrian) (born 1990), Australian Paralympic equestrian
Grace Duffie Boylan (1861?–1935), American writer
Grace Bradley (1913–2010), American film actress
Grace Brown (1886–1906), American skirt factory worker who was murdered
Grace Brown (born 1992), Australian cyclist
Grace Mann Brown (1859–1925), American writer and spiritual leader
Grace Cuthbert-Browne (1900–1988), Australian medical doctor
Grace Bumbry (1937–2023), American opera singer
Grace Burbridge (1887–?), British suffragette, burned whilst setting fire to a postbox
Grace Bussell (1860–1935), Australian heroine, involved in the rescue of the SS Georgette
Grace Butler (1886–1962), New Zealand artist
Grace Byers, Caymanian-American actress

C

Grace Carlson (1906–1992), American communist politician
Grace Carter (born 1989), British volleyball player
Grace Cassidy (born 1993), English actress
Grace Cavalieri (born 1932), American poet, playwright and broadcaster
Grace Chan (born 1991), Canadian actress, television host, and beauty pageant titleholder
Grace Chang (born 1933), Chinese actress and singer
Grace Chatto (born 1985), English musician and singer
Grace Chia, Singaporean writer, poet, journalist and editor
Grace Zia Chu (1899–1999), American author of Chinese cookbooks
Grace Clements (artist) (1905–1969), American artist
Grace Clements (athlete) (born 1984), English heptathlete
Grace Stone Coates (1881–1976), American writer
Grace Coddington (born 1941), British former model and creative director of American Vogue magazine
Grace Colman (1892–1971), British politician
Grace Comiskey (c. 1894–1956), American owner of the Chicago White Sox
Grace Conkling (1878–1958), American writer
Grace Corbett (c. 1765/1770–1843), Scottish author and poet
Grace Coolidge (1879–1957), First Lady of the United States; wife of President Calvin Coolidge
Grace Inez Crawford (1889–1977), Paris-born England-based American singer, actress, costume designer, translator of plays and writer
Grace Noll Crowell (1877–1969), American poet
Grace Crowley (1890–1979), Australian artist
Grace Cunard (1893–1967), American actress, screenwriter and film director
Grace Curzon, Marchioness Curzon of Kedleston (1879–1958), American socialite

D

Grace Daley (born 1978), American professional women's basketball player
Grace Darling (1815–1842), Northumbrian Victorian heroine
Grace Darmond (1893–1963), Canadian-born American actress
Grace Montañez Davis (1926–2020), Mexican-American political activist and deputy mayor of Los Angeles
Grace Davison, American silent-movie actress
Grace de Laguna (1878–1978), American philosopher and academic
Grace Deeb (born 1975), Lebanese singer
Grace DeMoss (born 1927), American amateur golfer
Grace Dent (born 1973), English journalist, author and broadcaster
Grace Diaz (born 1957), Dominican-American politician
Grace Hoadley Dodge (1856–1914), American philanthropist
Grace A. Dow (1869–1953), American philanthropist
Grace L. Drake, American politician
Grace Drayton (1877–1936), American comics artist
Grace Marguerite Hay Drummond-Hay (1895–1946), British journalist and aviation pioneer
Grace Dunham (born 1992), American poet and actress

E

Grace Ekpiwhre (born 1949), Nigerian civil servant
Grace Elizabeth (born 1997), American fashion model
Grace Elliott (1758–1823), Scottish socialite and courtesan

F

Grace Fernald (1879–1950), American educational psychologist
Grace Flandrau (1886–1971), American writer
Grace Fong, American musician and academic
Grace Fortescue (1883–1979), American socialite
Grace Frankland (1858–1946), English microbiologist
Grace Fryer (1899-1933), American dialpainter
Grace Voss Frederick (1905–2009), American actress and museum curator
Grace Beacham Freeman (1916–2002), American poet, columnist, short story writer and educator
Grace Fu (born 1964), Singaporean politician
Grace Fulton (born 1996), American actress

G

Grace Gao (born 1989), Canadian badminton player
Grace Garland, American singer-songwriter and actress
Grace Gassette (1871–1955), American artist and sculptor
Grace George (1879–1961), American stage actress
Grace Gibson (1905–1989), American radio producer who worked predominantly in Australia
Grace Gifford (1888–1955), Irish artist and cartoonist
Grace Gill-McGrath (born 1989), Australian soccer player
Grace Glowicki, Canadian actress and filmmaker
Grace Golden (1904–1993), English illustrator and historian
Grace Goodell, American anthropologist
Grace Grace (born 1958), Australian politician
Grace Winifred Green (1907–1976), New Zealand radio broadcaster and journalist
Grace Gregory (1901–1985), American film set decorator
Grace Griffith, American folk and Celtic singer
Grace Groner (1909–2010), American philanthropist
Grace Gummer (born 1986), American actress

H

Grace Eleanor Hadow (1875–1940), English author and academic
Grace Halsell (1923–2000), American journalist and writer
Grace Towns Hamilton (1907–1992), African-American politician
Grace Hanagan (1906–1995), Canadian survivor of the sinking of the Empress of Ireland (1914)
Grace Harris (1993), Australian cricketer
Grace Hartigan (1922–2008), American abstract expressionist painter
Grace Hartman (actress) (1907–1955), American stage and musical theater actress
Grace Hartman (politician) (1900–1998), Canadian social activist and politician
Grace Hartman (trade unionist) (1918–1993), Canadian labour union activist
Grace Raymond Hebard (1861–1936), American historian, suffragist, writer and political economist
Grace Helbig (born 1985), American comedian
Grace Henderson (1860–1944), American stage and silent-film actress
Grace Hightower (born 1955), American philanthropist, actress and singer
Grace Livingston Hill (1865–1947), American novelist
Grace Webster Haddock Hinsdale (1832–1902), American author
Grace Hirst (1805–1901), New Zealand businesswoman, farmer, nurse and midwife
Grace Ho (1907–1996), Chinese mother of Bruce Lee
Grace Hopper (1906–1992), American computer scientist
Grace Huang (born 1983), Australian actress
Grace Hudson (1865–1937), American painter
Grace Hyland, Australian internet personality and LGBTQ rights activist

I

Grace Ingalls (1877–1941), American journalist and youngest sister of novelist Laura Ingalls Wilder
Grace Ives (born 1995), American singer-songwriter

J

Grace Jackson (born 1961), Jamaican athlete
Grace James (1864–1930), British writer of children's literature
Grace Jantzen (1948–2006), Canadian feminist philosopher and theologian
Grace Jane Joel (1865–1924), New Zealand artist
Grace Mott Johnson (1882–1967), American artist
Grace Jones (born 1948), Jamaican-born singer, actress and model
Grace Jordan (1892–1985), American writer and journalist

K

Grace Kamaikui (1808–1866), Hawaiian high chief
Grace Kaufman (born 2002), American actress
Grace Keagy (1921–2009), American actress
Grace Keeling (born 1999), English influencer and presenter known as GK Barry
Grace Kelly (1929–1982), American actress who became Princess Grace of Monaco
Grace Kelly (musician) (born 1992), American musician
Grace Kennedy (writer) (1782–1825), Scottish writer
Grace Kennedy (singer) (born 1958), British singer and television presenter
Grace Kim (born 2000), Australian professional golfer
Grace Ji-Sun Kim (born 1969), Korean-American theologian and professor
Grace Kimmins (1871–1954), British philanthropist
Grace King (1852–1932), American writer
Grace Knight (born 1955), English-born Australian musician
Grace F. Knoche (1909–2006), American Theosophist, leader of the Theosophical Society
Grace Anne Dorney Koppel, American lawyer and health activist
Grace Krilanovich (born 1979), American writer
Grace Lynn Kung (born 1987), Canadian actress

L

Grace La Rue (1882–1956), American actress, singer, and Vaudeville performer
Grace Lau (born 1991), Hong Kong karateka
Grace Lee (born 1982), Korean television host and radio disc jockey
Grace Etsuko Lee, Japanese-born American author, speaker, trainer, international business woman
Grace Lin, American children's author, and illustrator
Grace Denio Litchfield (1849–1944), American novelist, poet
Grace Llewellyn (born 1964), American educator, author and publisher
Grace Annie Lockhart (1855–1916), Canadian, first woman in the British Empire to receive a bachelor's degree
Grace Loh (born 1991), Australian swimming champion
Grace Lorch (c. 1903–1974), American teacher and civil rights activist
Grace Lumpkin (1891–1980), American writer
Grace Turk (softball) (born 1999), American softball player
Grace Lyons (cricketer) (born 2005), Australian cricketer

M

Grace Maccarone, children's book editor and author
Grace MacInnis (1905–1991), Canadian politician and feminist
Grace Madden (1911–1987), American pair skater
Grace, Lady Manners, English noblewoman, founder of Lady Manners School in 1636
Grace Marks (c. 1828–after c. 1873), Irish-Canadian convicted murderer, subsequently pardoned
Grace Marra (born 1959), American musician
Grace McCallum (born 2002), American artistic gymnast
Grace McCarthy (1927–2017), Canadian politician
Grace McCleen (born 1981), British writer
Grace McDaniels (1888–1958), American freak show star
Grace McDonald (1918–1999), American actress
Grace McKeaney, American television writer, playwright and educator
Grace McKenzie (1903–1988), English swimmer
Grace Meng (born 1975), American lawyer and politician
Grace Metalious (1924–1964), American author of Peyton Place
Grace Mildmay (c. 1552–1620), English noblewoman, diarist and medical practitioner
Grace Millane (1996–2018), murdered English tourist
Grace Min (born 1994), American tennis player
Grace Mirabella (1930–2021), American journalist
Grace Mera Molisa (1946–2002), Vanuatuan politician, poet and campaigner for women's equality in politics
Grace Momanyi (born 1981), Kenyan long-distance runner
Grace Moore (1898–1947), American operatic soprano and actress
Chloë-Grace Moretz (born 1997), American actress
Grace Morgan (1909–1996), English cricketer
Grace Morley (1900–1985), American museologist who founded museums in San Francisco and New Delhi
Grace Mugabe (born 1965), wife of Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe
Grace Mukomberanwa (born 1944), Zimbabwean sculptor

N

Grace Napolitano (born 1936), American politician
Grace Natalie (born 1982), Indonesian politician
Grace Nichols (born 1950), Guyanese poet
Grace Nicholson (1877–1948), American art collector and art dealer
Grace Nikae, Japanese-born American classical pianist
Grace Nono (born 1965), Filipino singer
Grace Nuhfer (born 2002), American Paralympic swimmer

O

Grace Oakeshott (1872–1929), British women's rights activist
Grace O'Malley (c. 1530–c. 1603), Irish chieftain and pirate
Grace Ogot (1930–2015), Kenyan author, nurse, journalist, politician and diplomat
Grace Atkinson Oliver (1844–1899), American author, advocate of women's rights

P

Grace Padaca (born 1963), Filipino politician
Grace Paley (1922–2007), American short story writer, poet, teacher, and political activist
Grace Park (actress) (born 1974), American-born Canadian actress
Grace Park (golfer) (born 1979), South Korean professional golfer
Grace Parra, American screenwriter, presenter, and actress
Grace Perry (1927–1987), Australian poet, editor and pediatrician
Grace Petrie (born 1987), English folk singer-songwriter and guitarist
Grace Phipps (born 1992), American actress
Grace Evelyn Pickford (1902–1986), English-born American biologist and endocrinologist
Grace Poe (born 1968), Filipino politician
Grace Portolesi (born 1968), Australian politician
Grace Potter (born 1983), American lead singer of rock band Grace Potter and the Nocturnals

R

Grace Randolph (born 1987), American film reporter and critic
Grace Rasmussen (born 1988), New Zealand netball player
Grace Renzi (1922–2011), American artist
Grace Rhys (1865–1929), Irish writer
Grace S. Richmond (1866–1959), American writer
Grace Robertson (1930–2021), Scottish photographer
Grace Rohrer (1924–2011), American educator, arts and women's rights activist and politician
Grace Rolek (born 1997), American actress
Grace Alexandra Rood (1893–1981), New Zealand school dental nurse
Grace Roosevelt (1867–1945), American tennis player
Grace Ross (born 1961), American environmental activist

S

Grace Sandhouse (1896–1940), American entomologist
Grace Berg Schaible (1925–2017), American lawyer, the first female state's attorney general
Grace Schulman (born 1935), American poet and academic
Grace Carew Sheldon (1855–1921), American journalist, author, editor, businesswoman
Grace Sherwood (died 1740), American woman convicted of witchcraft in the U.S. state of Virginia in 1705–1706
Grace Slick (born 1939), American rock vocalist
Grace Cossington Smith (1892–1984), Australian artist
Grace Snyder (1882–1982), American quilter, pioneer and centenarian
Grace Harriet Spofford (1887–1974), American music educator
Gracie Spinks (died 2021), English lifeguard believed to have been murdered
Grace Stafford (1903–1992), American actress
Grace Stanke (born 2002), American beauty pageant titleholder
Grace Zaring Stone (1891–1991), American novelist and short story writer
Grace Stratton (born 1999), New Zealand blogger and fashion entrepreneur
Grace Sulzberger (born 1988), Australian cyclist

T

Grace Tame (born 1994), Australian activist and sexual assault survivor advocate
Grace Tanamal (born 1957), Dutch politician
Grace Taylor (gymnast) (born 1988), American gymnast
Grace Dyer Taylor (1859–1867), English Christian missionary in China
Grace Paine Terzian (born 1952), American political writer and publishing executive
Grace Thompson (1891–?), American silent film actress
Grace Hyde Trine (1874–1972), American writer, lecturer, dramatic reader
Grace Tsutada (born 1942), Japanese teacher and missionary
Grace Tully (1900–1984), American presidential private secretary (to Franklin D. Roosevelt)
Grace Tyson (1881–1941), American Vaudeville performer and actress

U

Grace Upshaw (born 1975), American track and field athlete

V

Grace Van Dien (born 1996), American actress and social media personality
Grace Van Studdiford (1873–1927), American opera singer and actress
Grace Van Patten (born 1996), American actress
Grace Valentine (1884–1964), American actress
Grace Vanderbilt (1870–1953), American socialite
Grace VanderWaal (born 2004), American singer-songwriter

W

Grace Wahba (born 1934), American statistician and academic
Grace Wahu (c. 1907–2007), first wife of Jomo Kenyatta, the first president of Kenya
Grace Jane Wallace (died 1878), Scottish author and translator
Grace Wanjiru (born 1979), Kenyan race walker
Grace Miller White (1868–1957), American author
Grace Lee Whitney (1930–2015), American actress and entertainer
Grace Widdowson (1892–1989), New Zealand nurse and hospital matron
Grace Olive Wiley (1883–1948), American herpetologist
Grace Williams (1906–1977), Welsh composer
Grace Wilson (1879–1957), Australian high-ranked army nurse during World War I and World War II
Grace Wilson (soccer) (born 2005), Australian football player
Grace Wong (born 1986), Hong Kong-born actress
Grace Woodward (born 1978), English fashion stylist and television presenter
Grace Wyndham Goldie (1900–1986), British pioneer television producer

Y

Grace Chisholm Young (1868–1944), English mathematician
Grace Young (fl. 2006–present), Canadian-born American singer, songwriter musician known as Grace
Grace Sari Ysidora (born 1995), Indonesian professional tennis player

Z

Grace Zabriskie (born 1941), American actress
Grace Zumwinkle (born 1999), American ice hockey player

Pseudonyms

"Grace Greenwood", pseudonym of Sara Jane Lippincott (1823–1904), American writer
"Grace", alias of the underaged sole survivor of the 2008 Yishun triple murders case from Singapore

Fictional characters

Grace Adler, in the television comedy series Will and Grace
Grace Archer (1930–1955), in the BBC's long-running radio drama serial The Archers
Grace Augustine, scientist in the film Avatar
Grace Balin, the first DC Comics supervillainess known as Orca
DCI Grace Barraclough, in the ITV1 soap opera Emmerdale
Grace Beauchamp, in the BBC One drama series Holby City
Grace Bennett, in the film Monte Carlo
Grace Bernard, in the book "How to Kill Your Family" by Bella Mackie
Grace Bowman, in American television series The Secret Life of the American Teenager
Grace Cavendish, detective and the central character in the Lady Grace Mysteries
Grace Choi, in the DC Comics universe
Grace Connelly, in the film Bruce Almighty
Grace Florrick, daughter of Alicia Florrick in the American television series The Good Wife
Emma Grace Frost, a character in Marvel Comics, mainly in X-Men stories
Grace Hamilton, in the movie The Godfather Part III
Grace Harlowe, the protagonist of four series of books for girls by Jessie Graham Flower
Grace Holloway, in the 1996 television movie Doctor Who
Grace Hsieh, in the 2024 Pixar film Inside Out 2
Grace Kingston, in the Australian drama series McLeod's Daughters
Grace Margaret Mulligan, lead character in the films Dogville and Manderlay
Grace Monroe, the main character in Book Three (and a minor character in Book Two) of the animated anthology series Infinity Train
Grace Nakimura, in the adventure game series Gabriel Knight
Grace Santos, in the film The 24 Hour Woman
Grace Santos, in the Filipino TV series Aso ni San Roque
Grace Sheffield, in the American TV series The Nanny
Grace (Soulfire), in the comic book Soulfire
Grace Stamper, in the 1998 film Armageddon
Grace Stewart, in The others, played by Nicole Kidman
Grace Thomas, American Girl character
Grace Turner, in the soap opera The Young and the Restless
Grace Van Owen, in the TV series LA Law
Grace Van Pelt, in the TV series The Mentalist
Grace, an animal character in the Disney film Home on the Range
Grace, a character in the Netflix series Grand Army
Grace the Glitter Fairy, in the book franchise Rainbow Magic
Grace, a hunter in the video game Identity V
Grace Stone, a character in the Netflix series Manifest
Grace Howard, a playable character from the video game Zenless Zone Zero

References

^ Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, Oxford Dictionary of First Names, Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, ISBN 978-0-19-861060-1, p.113.
^ Fowers, Alyssa; Van Dam, Andrew (13 December 2024). "Puritan baby names are back. Is '90s culture responsible?". washingtonpost.com. Washington Post. Retrieved 14 December 2024.

Variants

Notable people

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

N

O

P

R

S

T

U

V

W

Y

Z

Pseudonyms

Fictional characters

References

See also