Ray Name Origin, Meaning and Family History
Ray Name Meaning : Derived from the Anglo-Saxon 'ea', meaning someone who lived by a river/stream or 'ray' which was the name given to a female deer. May have also originated from the French 'rey', meaning 'king'.
A name for someone that lived near a river/stream. May have also been a nickname for someone who acted 'kingly' or someone shy who had similar attributes to a female deer.
Discover how your Ray ancestors earned their living and spread across the country. Find out more about your family history by using the Free Search box.
Surname Distribution
Census frequency by county
Name Concentrations Within England and Wales
0
20
39
59
78
98
117
137
156
176
195
215
Buckinghamshire
109
Cambridgeshire
24
Channel Islands
46
Cheshire
71
Carmarthenshire
12
Cornwall
8
Cumberland
146
Derbyshire
49
Devon
20
Dorset
8
Durham
98
Essex
89
Glamorgan
4
Gloucestershire
34
Hampshire
234
Hertfordshire
99
Hunts and Rutland
56
Isle of Man
16
Kent
162
Lancashire
503
Lincolnshire
14
London
671
Middlesex
19
Monmouthshire
8
Northumberland
102
Norfolk
98
Northamptonshire
15
Nottinghamshire
9
Oxfordshire
36
Pembrokeshire
7
Shropshire
153
Suffolk
154
Somerset
63
Surrey
68
Sussex
73
Staffordshire
207
Warwickshire
81
Westmorland
10
Wiltshire
14
Worcestershire
39
Yorkshire
188
Anglesey
0
Bedfordshire
0
Brecknockshire
0
Berkshire
0
Carnarvonshire
0
Cardiganshire
0
Denbighshire
0
Flintshire
0
Herefordshire
0
Leicestershire
0
Merionethshire
0
Montgomeryshire
0
Radnorshire
0
Search for the Ray family
Ray Surname Statistics
Top Professions for the Ray family
Profession
Census Frequency
Agricultural Labourer
175
Female Servant
112
Independent
104
Labourer
79
Farmer
52
Male Servant
44
Shoe Maker
26
Cotton Weaver
20
Weaver
17
Ag Labourer
15
Ag Lab
13
Painter
12
Publican
12
Carpenter
12
Tailor
12
Dress Maker
12
Pupil
12
Clerk
11
Coal Miner
11
Hat Labourer
11
Shop Keeper
10
Independant
10
Laundress
10
Mariner
10
Joiner
9
Most Frequent Forenames for Ray
Name
Census Frequency
William Ray
3,387
Mary Ray
3,360
John Ray
2,893
Elizabeth Ray
1,980
James Ray
1,838
Sarah Ray
1,696
George Ray
1,683
Thomas Ray
1,661
Ann Ray
1,077
Jane Ray
1,000
Charles Ray
950
Henry Ray
880
Robert Ray
830
Alice Ray
769
Joseph Ray
766
Eliza Ray
721
Ellen Ray
695
Margaret Ray
660
Richard Ray
644
Annie Ray
638
Emma Ray
614
Edward Ray
531
Alfred Ray
526
Samuel Ray
486
Frederick Ray
460
Ray Surname Variants Ranking
Rank
Surname
Match
Census Frequency
1
Ray
100%
49,419
2
Wray
75%
29,304
3
Reay
75%
18,029
4
Airey
40%
14,537
5
Rye
33%
10,238
6
Rae
67%
7,853
7
Roy
67%
6,494
8
Rey
67%
2,428
9
Ree
33%
1,828
10
Eary
50%
1,118
11
Raye
75%
1,019
12
Arey
50%
567
13
Roye
50%
532
14
Airy
25%
525
15
Ary
33%
408
16
Earey
40%
323
17
Urey
50%
238
18
Rauey
60%
179
19
Eray
75%
128
20
Royee
40%
124
21
Aray
75%
101
Did you know?
The surname Ray is the
most popular version of all its varients