The name Grace is of English origin and has a long history dating back to the Middle Ages. It was derived from the Latin word "gratia," which means "grace" or "favor." In the Middle Ages, the name was often used as a virtue name, signifying qualities such as elegance, charm, and kindness.
Grace first appeared in England as a given name during the late 13th century. It was originally more common among women of the nobility, but it began to be used by people of all social classes over time. By the Victorian era, Grace had become quite popular and was one of the top 20 girls' names in England.
Today, Grace is still widely used as a given name for girls around the world. It has also been used occasionally as a boys' name, although it remains more common for girls. Some famous people named Grace include the American actress Grace Kelly (1929-1982) and the Australian tennis player Grace Min (born 1995). Overall, the name Grace carries connotations of elegance, charm, and kindness, reflecting its origins as a virtue name.
Based on the provided statistics, the name Grace has had a varied but steady presence among newborns in the United States over the past century and a half.
The earliest record of the name Grace being given to newborn girls in the U.S. is from 1880, with six babies receiving the name that year. The number of births with the name Grace fluctuated during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, ranging from five to 26 births per year.
There was a notable increase in popularity around the 1920s, with the highest number of Grace births recorded being 30 in 1929. This trend continued into the 1930s and 1940s, although there were periods where the number of Grace births fell significantly, such as the five births in both 1953 and 1968.
The name Grace experienced a resurgence in popularity starting in the late 1980s. From 1989 onwards, the number of Grace births consistently ranged between eight and 40 per year. The highest recorded number of Grace births in recent years was 40 in 2004.
In total, there have been 1386 births with the name Grace in the United States since 1880. This data demonstrates that while the popularity of the name Grace has ebbed and flowed over time, it has remained a consistent choice for parents across several decades.