Ray Boy

Popularity: #633 · Trend: ↘ Falling

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: RAY /reɪ/

Origin: English; Hebrew; French

Meaning: English: beam of light; Hebrew: God's gift; French: king

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Ray has its roots in the Old French word "rai," which means "beam of light," derived from the Latin "radius," meaning "ray" or "spoke of a wheel." This Latin term itself comes from the Proto-Indo-European root "*reg-" which signifies "to rule" or "to direct." The transition of the name into English occurred during the Norman Conquest in the 11th century, when many Old French terms were absorbed into the English language, enriching its vocabulary and introducing new names. Historically, the name Ray has been associated with various notable figures and cultural references.

In the context of Christianity, it can be linked to the concept of divine light, often symbolizing purity and guidance. The name has also appeared in literature and art, where light is a recurring theme, further cementing its positive connotations.

The diminutive form "Raymond," which means "wise protector," has been borne by several saints and historical figures, contributing to the name's enduring legacy. Throughout the centuries, the name Ray has been adopted in various cultures, often embodying the qualities of brightness and clarity.

Its usage can be traced back to medieval times, where it was sometimes used as a surname before becoming a popular given name. The name's association with light has made it a symbol of hope and enlightenment in various traditions.

As a result, Ray has maintained a significant presence in both historical and cultural contexts, reflecting the universal human fascination with light as a metaphor for knowledge and guidance.

Famous people named Ray

In this section, you will find notable people named Ray. 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 Ray who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Ray 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.

Ray Charles is a singer and songwriter best known for Hit the Road Jack, Georgia on My Mind, and I Got a Woman.

Ray Bradbury is an author best known for Fahrenheit 451, The Martian Chronicles, and Something Wicked This Way Comes.

Ray Liotta is an actor best known for Goodfellas, Field of Dreams, and Cop Land.

Ray Romano is a comedian and actor best known for Everybody Loves Raymond, The Irishman, and Men of a Certain Age.

Ray Allen is a former professional basketball player best known for his time with the Boston Celtics, Miami Heat, and Seattle SuperSonics.

Ray Stevens is a singer and songwriter best known for The Streak, Everything Is Beautiful, and Misty.

Ray Winstone is an actor best known for Sexy Beast, The Departed, and Beowulf.

Ray Parker Jr. is a musician best known for Ghostbusters, The Other Woman, and You Can't Change That.

Ray Davies is a musician best known as the lead singer and songwriter of The Kinks, known for songs like You Really Got Me and Waterloo Sunset.

Ray Mears is a television presenter and author best known for his survival skills programs and books.

Fictional characters named Ray

The following list of fictional characters named Ray 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.

Ray Stantz is a fictional character from the film franchise Ghostbusters. He is one of the original Ghostbusters and is known for his enthusiasm and expertise in paranormal research.

Ray Palmer is a fictional character from DC Comics. He is a superhero known as the Atom, who has the ability to shrink to subatomic sizes and manipulate his mass.

Sibling suggestions

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

JayKayMayTayZay

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Ray. 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.

RoyRaymondRexRileyReedReyRafeRylan

U.S. Historical Usage

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

Ray has ranked as high as #132 nationally, which occurred in 1926, and has been most popular in Texas, California, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Illinois.

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

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Ray 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 Ray 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 Ray.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 338 319 19
2024 351 323 28
2023 364 338 26
2022 361 332 29
2021 310 283 27
2020 365 343 22
2019 345 328 17
2018 351 330 21
2017 327 306 21
2016 345 324 21
2015 359 349 10
2014 338 329 9
2013 374 363 11
2012 332 327 5
2011 347 347 0
2010 364 364 0
2009 371 366 5
2008 380 374 6
2007 384 384 0
2006 451 451 0
2005 428 420 8
2004 391 391 0
2003 336 336 0
2002 386 377 9
2001 366 360 6
2000 441 435 6
1999 426 414 12
1998 446 446 0
1997 451 443 8
1996 445 445 0
1995 495 495 0
1994 574 564 10
1993 570 562 8
1992 594 582 12
1991 700 695 5
1990 764 755 9
1989 732 722 10
1988 759 744 15
1987 784 769 15
1986 744 738 6
1985 778 768 10
1984 773 766 7
1983 777 764 13
1982 882 866 16
1981 865 855 10
1980 853 843 10
1979 842 824 18
1978 817 793 24
1977 825 807 18
1976 865 850 15
1975 916 895 21
1974 968 955 13
1973 1,067 1,046 21
1972 1,195 1,178 17
1971 1,294 1,267 27
1970 1,488 1,462 26
1969 1,546 1,522 24
1968 1,617 1,593 24
1967 1,634 1,616 18
1966 1,853 1,825 28
1965 2,116 2,092 24
1964 2,303 2,280 23
1963 2,625 2,581 44
1962 2,708 2,675 33
1961 2,952 2,920 32
1960 3,111 3,079 32
1959 3,265 3,219 46
1958 3,238 3,188 50
1957 3,452 3,410 42
1956 3,283 3,230 53
1955 3,107 3,070 37
1954 3,019 2,976 43
1953 2,864 2,815 49
1952 2,729 2,690 39
1951 2,720 2,678 42
1950 2,668 2,636 32
1949 2,750 2,710 40
1948 3,182 3,134 48
1947 3,416 3,379 37
1946 3,217 3,169 48
1945 2,780 2,740 40
1944 2,950 2,904 46
1943 3,106 3,063 43
1942 3,115 3,067 48
1941 2,729 2,695 34
1940 2,842 2,795 47
1939 2,754 2,709 45
1938 2,925 2,881 44
1937 2,774 2,725 49
1936 3,003 2,939 64
1935 3,144 3,070 74
1934 3,245 3,177 68
1933 3,100 3,032 68
1932 3,335 3,263 72
1931 3,244 3,161 83
1930 3,356 3,254 102
1929 3,290 3,174 116
1928 3,343 3,248 95
1927 3,361 3,253 108
1926 3,529 3,409 120
1925 3,316 3,219 97
1924 3,491 3,369 122
1923 3,281 3,161 120
1922 3,147 3,051 96
1921 3,208 3,075 133
1920 3,224 3,086 138
1919 2,848 2,722 126
1918 2,925 2,763 162
1917 2,559 2,426 133
1916 2,466 2,334 132
1915 2,491 2,365 126
1914 1,765 1,657 108
1913 1,395 1,328 67
1912 1,110 1,050 60
1911 665 602 63
1910 601 545 56
1909 525 475 50
1908 489 446 43
1907 513 475 38
1906 465 421 44
1905 467 424 43
1904 462 432 30
1903 431 397 34
1902 431 391 40
1901 355 338 17
1900 492 457 35
1899 348 315 33
1898 425 394 31
1897 441 397 44
1896 461 426 35
1895 408 380 28
1894 419 379 40
1893 413 378 35
1892 423 385 38
1891 396 360 36
1890 393 349 44
1889 385 355 30
1888 360 331 29
1887 280 258 22
1886 292 271 21
1885 262 237 25
1884 254 232 22
1883 212 202 10
1882 210 195 15
1881 159 148 11
1880 150 142 8

Top States for Ray (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 67
25%
TX 35
13%
NY 26
10%
FL 17
6%
OH 13
5%
IL 11
4%
WA 10
4%
CO 10
4%
AZ 9
3%
GA 9
3%
UT 7
3%
NC 7
3%
NJ 7
3%
PA 6
2%
MD 6
2%
AR 6
2%
MI 6
2%
OR 5
2%
IN 5
2%
CT 5
2%
NV 5
2%