Baby Name of the Day: Grover

The baby name Grover blends old school vibes with a bright sound. But does pop culture make this name permanently problematic? 

Thanks to Marie for suggesting our Baby Name of the Day.

WHAT DOES THE NAME GROVER MEAN?

The baby name Grover comes directly from the Old English word graf, meaning a grove of trees. 

Groves can be small forests, or even just a group of trees. Sometimes the term is used interchangeably with orchard. We typically talk about orange groves and apple orchards. But they can also suggest a place of retreat, like Thomas Jefferson’s grove on the grounds of his home, Monticello.

So a Grover was a grove dweller, one who lived near such a feature, either naturally occurring or cultivated by man.

One other option: Grover might be an occupational surname for a ditch digger or someone who lived in a hollow. That’s from the German word grube, meaning pit.

Still, we love first names borrowed from the natural world right now. The baby name Grover fits with names like Forrest and Rowan.

PRESIDENTIAL NAME

Back in 1837, Richard and Ann Cleveland welcomed their fifth child. They named him Stephen Grover Cleveland in honor of the very first pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Caldwell, New Jersey. Dad was serving as the second pastor of that church at the time of his son’s birth.

By the time he reached adulthood, Stephen had shed his commonplace given name for his less familiar middle name, and embarked on a political career. 

In 1884, the year Cleveland was elected 24th President of the United States, the baby name Grover skyrocketed to #20.

President Grover Cleveland made his name broadly familiar, but it wasn’t new. The name charted in the US Top 500 during the 19th century – or at least, from 1880 onward, when US popularity data was first reported. 

Worth noting: that data from the late 19th century was self-reported, starting in the 1930s when the Social Security Administration was established. 

Still, plenty of surnames were given as family names, and it’s no surprise to find Grover in use during the late 1800s.

SESAME STREET

Beloved PBS children’s television series Sesame Street givesus the most famous bearer of the name: Grover Monster.

He calls himself “lovable, cute, and furry” and he’s been with the venerable children’s show since early days.

Should we file Grover next to Kermit and Elmo? They’re names with deep roots that we love, but have mostly stopped giving to our children. 

21ST CENTURY GROVERS

A handful of more recent uses of the name could shift Grover’s image.

• 2002 bestselling novel The Nanny Diaries put young college graduate Annie in charge of four-year-old Grayer. In 2007, it became a movie with a young Scarlett Johansson as the nanny. Her charge was named Grayer, but Annie nicknamed him Grover. It fit with early 21st century naming trends. Other characters answered to Darwin and Tinford, Lulu and Cristabelle.
• Game of Thrones fans might think of Grover Tully. He’s mentioned in House of the Dragon, as are other House Tully members: Kermit, Oscar, and Elmo. Series creator George RR Martin tucked in the Jim Henson shout-out as a joke. (Or maybe he was running out of names! He’s had to invent hundreds, even thousands, as he’s built his world.)
• More recently: Grover Underwood is a main character in the Percy Jackson universe. He’s Percy’s best friend and originally assigned as his protector. Grover is also a satyr, complete with horns and goat legs he has to hide when spending time in the world of humans. Aryan Simhadri plays the role in the new Disney+ series, Percy Jackson and the Olympians. Since satyrs live in wooded areas, Grover is the most logical name for the character.

If the Muppet is the most obvious association for Gen X, it’s possible that Gen Z and Gen Alpha are more likely to think of Rick Riordon’s take on the heroes of Mount Olympus.

HOW POPULAR IS THE NAME GROVER?

The baby name Grover ranked in the US Top 1000 from 1880 through 1974. That’s an impressive run!

But it only spent 1884 to 1893 in the 100 top names. By the early 1900s, it was falling in use. During the 1950s, the name plummeted and has yet to truly recover.

In other English-speaking countries, Grover seems more obscure. Or maybe the data just doesn’t reveal the handful of Grovers we might find in the Canada, the United Kingdom, or Australia. Both Sesame Street and the surname do exist, of course.

As of 2024, just 26 boys were given the name Grover in the US. That’s tiny, but it marks an increase in use. In the year 2012, just nine boys were named Grover. 

OLD SCHOOL OPTION

Names from the late 19th and early 20th centuries can be wildly stylish right about now. Think Felix, Archie, or Otis. 

And a surname name with a rich history and the image of a small wooded area feels like a lock in our age of Rowan, River, and Alder. 

While it’s undeniably an established masculine name, it would take a daring namer to revive Grover right now. Then again, parents’ preferences continuously seek out obscure, but wearable choices – and that describes this name nicely.

If you’re into old school picks like Cedric, Alfred, and Harvey, then Grover fits. And it might be the perfect baby name for your family.

What do you think of the baby name Grover?

First published on January 14, 2015, this post was revised on April 14, 2026.