Ray Unisex

Popularity: #614 · Trend: ↘ Falling

Origin(s)

PronunciationRAY / reɪ

English; Hebrew; French

Meaning

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

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Ray has been used in English-speaking countries since the 19th century. It is often associated with brightness and light, stemming from its meaning. In Hebrew, it is sometimes used as a short form of names like Raymond. The name has also been popularized in various cultures, reflecting different meanings.

Trend Summary

Ray has seen fluctuating popularity in the U.S., peaking in the mid-20th century.

Similar Names

RoyRaymondRexRileyReedReyRafeRylan

Variants

  • Rae
  • Raymond

International Variants

  • Rai (Japanese)
  • Rayo (Spanish)

Famous people named Ray

Ray Charles was an influential American singer, songwriter, and pianist known for his contributions to soul music.

Ray Bradbury was a renowned American author, best known for his dystopian novel 'Fahrenheit 451'.

Ray Liotta was an American actor famous for his role in the film 'Goodfellas'.

Ray Allen is a former professional basketball player who is considered one of the greatest shooters in NBA history.

Fictional characters named Ray

Ray Stantz is a character from the 'Ghostbusters' franchise, known for being one of the original ghost hunters.

Ray Palmer, also known as the Atom, is a superhero in the DC Comics universe, known for his ability to shrink in size.

Sibling Suggestions

JayKayMayTayZay

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Ray was first seen in the United States in 1880. Ray has ranked as high as #137 nationally, which occurred in 1926, and has been most popular in California, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Texas, and Illinois. In the past 5 years the name Ray has been trending down compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

Top States for Ray (2024)

StateBirthsShare
CA 61
24%
TX 35
14%
NY 26
10%
FL 17
7%
OH 13
5%
IL 11
4%
WA 10
4%
GA 9
4%
AZ 9
4%
UT 7
3%
NC 7
3%
PA 6
2%
AR 6
2%
MD 6
2%
MI 6
2%

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

YearBirths
1880142
1881148
1882195
1883202
1884232
1885237
1886271
1887258
1888331
1889355
1890349
1891360
1892385
1893378
1894379
1895380
1896426
1897397
1898394
1899315
1900457
1901338
1902391
1903397
1904432
1905424
1906421
1907475
1908446
1909475
1910545
1911602
19121,050
19131,328
19141,657
19152,365
19162,334
19172,426
19182,763
19192,722
19203,086
19213,075
19223,051
19233,161
19243,369
19253,219
19263,409
19273,253
19283,248
19293,174
19303,253
19313,161
19323,264
19333,033
19343,176
19353,070
19362,939
19372,725
19382,881
19392,709
19402,795
19412,695
19423,066
19433,063
19442,904
19452,740
19463,170
19473,378
19483,134
19492,710
19502,636
19512,678
19522,690
19532,815
19542,977
19553,069
19563,230
19573,409
19583,189
19593,221
19603,080
19612,920
19622,675
19632,584
19642,277
19652,092
19661,826
19671,616
19681,593
19691,522
19701,462
19711,267
19721,178
19731,046
1974955
1975897
1976850
1977807
1978793
1979824
1980844
1981855
1982867
1983764
1984766
1985768
1986738
1987770
1988744
1989722
1990755
1991695
1992582
1993562
1994564
1995495
1996445
1997443
1998446
1999414
2000435
2001360
2002377
2003336
2004391
2005420
2006451
2007384
2008374
2009366
2010364
2011346
2012327
2013363
2014329
2015348
2016324
2017306
2018330
2019328
2020343
2021282
2022332
2023336
2024322