Ray
Boy nameRay has been given to 210,307 babies in the U.S. since 1880. It peaked in 1926 and currently ranks #792 for boys (2025).
Meaning & origin /ɹeɪ/
As an English surname, from pet forms derived from the root of Raymond. * Also as an English surname, from Old French rei (“king”). Compare Roy, King. * Also as an English surname, from Old English rā (“roe deer”). Compare Roe. * Also as an English surname, variant of Wray and Rye. * As a Scottish Gaelic surname, shortened from McRae. * As a French surname, from the verb raier (“to gush out, flow, radiate”). Compare Leray. * As a Polish and Slovene surname, Americanized from Raj, from raj (“paradise”). * As an Indian surname, variant of Rai.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Popularity over time births per year, 1880–2025
Total babies
210,307
Peak year
1926 (3,529 babies)
Rank in 2025
#792 for boys
First recorded
1880
10-year trend
▼ -6%
Gender split
3% girls / 97% boys
Famous people named Ray
Ray Bradbury
American author and screenwriter (1920–2012)
Ray Kroc
American businessman
Sugar Ray Robinson
American boxer (1921–1989)
Dean Koontz
American writer and screenwriter (born 1945)
Notability data from Wikidata (CC0).
Names with a similar vibe
Same primary gender, peaked around the same years, and roughly as common as Ray.
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