Rae Girl

Popularity: #777 · Trend: ↗ Rising

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: RAY //reɪ//

Origin: English; Hebrew

Meaning: English: Ewe; Hebrew: Friend

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Rae has its roots in multiple linguistic traditions, primarily deriving from the Hebrew name "Ra'ah," meaning "to see" or "to behold." This name was later adopted into Old French as "Ray," which carried similar meanings. The transition into English occurred during the Norman Conquest in the 11th century, when many Old French names and terms were integrated into the English language.

Rae can also be considered a diminutive form of names such as Rachel or Raquel, which further connects it to Hebrew origins, as Rachel means "ewe" in Hebrew, symbolizing innocence and purity. Historically, the name Rae has been associated with various notable figures and cultural milestones.

In the biblical context, Rachel is a significant character in the Book of Genesis, where she is depicted as the beloved wife of Jacob and the mother of Joseph and Benjamin. This association with a prominent biblical figure has contributed to the name's enduring presence in various cultures.

The use of Rae as a standalone name became more common in the 19th century, particularly in English-speaking countries, where it was often used to convey a sense of simplicity and elegance. Culturally, Rae has been embraced in various artistic and literary contexts, often symbolizing light or radiance, which aligns with its etymological roots.

The name's connotations of clarity and vision have made it a favored choice in literature and the arts. Additionally, the name Rae has been used in various forms of media, further solidifying its place in cultural narratives.

Overall, Rae embodies a blend of historical significance and cultural resonance, making it a name with rich linguistic and symbolic heritage.

Famous people named Rae

In this section, you will find notable people named Rae. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Rae who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Rae who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.

Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.

Rae Dawn Chong is an actress best known for Quest for Fire, The Color Purple, and Commando.

Rae Sremmurd is a hip-hop duo best known for Black Beatles, No Type, and Swang.

Rae Morris is a singer-songwriter best known for her albums Unguarded, and Someone Out There.

Fictional characters named Rae

The following list of fictional characters named Rae is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

Rae is a fictional character from the video game series Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. She is a Jedi Knight who plays a crucial role in the battle against the Sith.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Rae, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Rae. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Rae was first seen in the United States in 1880.

Rae has ranked as high as #805 nationally, which occurred in 1956, and has been most popular in New York, California, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Illinois.

In the past 5 years the name Rae has been trending down compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Rae is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Rae was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Rae.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 176 5 171
2024 195 11 184
2023 204 5 199
2022 212 5 207
2021 248 7 241
2020 244 11 233
2019 207 7 200
2018 225 7 218
2017 167 8 159
2016 199 5 194
2015 96 0 96
2014 96 7 89
2013 71 0 71
2012 89 5 84
2011 65 5 60
2010 63 6 57
2009 60 0 60
2008 68 5 63
2007 60 0 60
2006 69 0 69
2005 66 0 66
2004 64 6 58
2003 54 6 48
2002 59 5 54
2001 74 0 74
2000 74 0 74
1999 70 6 64
1998 77 7 70
1997 83 8 75
1996 91 7 84
1995 111 6 105
1994 111 6 105
1993 94 0 94
1992 99 0 99
1991 106 5 101
1990 124 0 124
1989 130 7 123
1988 121 0 121
1987 121 6 115
1986 95 0 95
1985 113 5 108
1984 101 0 101
1983 133 0 133
1982 157 0 157
1981 156 6 150
1980 147 0 147
1979 177 0 177
1978 172 5 167
1977 134 5 129
1976 136 5 131
1975 157 0 157
1974 178 5 173
1973 175 0 175
1972 213 0 213
1971 250 6 244
1970 282 0 282
1969 274 5 269
1968 293 0 293
1967 332 5 327
1966 230 12 218
1965 322 8 314
1964 314 7 307
1963 314 6 308
1962 344 5 339
1961 279 6 273
1960 257 10 247
1959 296 6 290
1958 334 10 324
1957 406 13 393
1956 412 6 406
1955 378 11 367
1954 383 13 370
1953 347 7 340
1952 319 10 309
1951 357 16 341
1950 330 14 316
1949 315 7 308
1948 329 18 311
1947 366 16 350
1946 271 11 260
1945 260 8 252
1944 239 19 220
1943 293 10 283
1942 284 6 278
1941 214 13 201
1940 206 9 197
1939 203 10 193
1938 194 10 184
1937 204 13 191
1936 229 16 213
1935 261 12 249
1934 228 7 221
1933 278 8 270
1932 219 14 205
1931 217 14 203
1930 191 24 167
1929 194 16 178
1928 218 25 193
1927 201 18 183
1926 170 15 155
1925 237 14 223
1924 212 22 190
1923 203 27 176
1922 198 21 177
1921 217 17 200
1920 218 20 198
1919 239 26 213
1918 248 17 231
1917 241 12 229
1916 213 14 199
1915 225 10 215
1914 216 14 202
1913 139 9 130
1912 133 6 127
1911 111 6 105
1910 87 0 87
1909 84 0 84
1908 81 0 81
1907 73 0 73
1906 64 0 64
1905 59 0 59
1904 73 0 73
1903 76 0 76
1902 64 0 64
1901 57 0 57
1900 68 0 68
1899 72 6 66
1898 61 0 61
1897 67 0 67
1896 68 5 63
1895 89 8 81
1894 79 6 73
1893 71 0 71
1892 76 0 76
1891 62 0 62
1890 53 0 53
1889 44 0 44
1888 49 0 49
1887 38 0 38
1886 34 0 34
1885 17 0 17
1884 23 0 23
1883 23 0 23
1882 17 0 17
1881 7 0 7
1880 10 0 10

Top States for Rae (2024)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
CA 19
15%
NY 13
10%
UT 13
10%
TX 12
10%
PA 9
7%
MI 8
6%
AZ 7
6%
FL 7
6%
NC 7
6%
SC 5
4%
CO 5
4%
IL 5
4%
WA 5
4%
IN 5
4%
WI 5
4%