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.Bedfordshire | 0 |
Buckinghamshire | 124 |
Berkshire | 0 |
Cambridgeshire | 27 |
Channel Islands | 37 |
Cheshire | 98 |
Cornwall | 8 |
Cumberland | 169 |
Derbyshire | 60 |
Devon | 33 |
Dorset | 16 |
Durham | 130 |
Essex | 125 |
Gloucestershire | 30 |
Hampshire | 215 |
Herefordshire | 0 |
Hertfordshire | 68 |
Huntingdonshire (and Rutland) | 47 |
Isle of Man | 11 |
Kent | 145 |
Lancashire | 1,176 |
Leicestershire | 6 |
Lincolnshire | 27 |
London | 888 |
Middlesex | 47 |
Northumberland | 158 |
Norfolk | 92 |
Northamptonshire | 27 |
Nottinghamshire | 15 |
Oxfordshire | 39 |
Rutland (and Huntingdonshire) | 47 |
Shropshire | 131 |
Suffolk | 101 |
Somerset | 102 |
Surrey | 84 |
Sussex | 77 |
Staffordshire | 314 |
Warwickshire | 112 |
Westmorland | 20 |
Wiltshire | 13 |
Worcestershire | 89 |
Yorkshire | 294 |
Anglesey | 0 |
Brecknockshire | 0 |
Cardiganshire | 0 |
Carnarvonshire | 0 |
Carmarthenshire | 7 |
Denbighshire | 0 |
Flintshire | 0 |
Glamorgan | 26 |
Merionethshire | 0 |
Montgomeryshire | 7 |
Monmouthshire | 20 |
Pembrokeshire | 8 |
Radnorshire | 0 |
Profession | Census Frequency |
---|---|
Scholar | 813 |
Agricultural Labourer | 179 |
Labourer | 80 |
Cotton Weaver | 76 |
House Servant | 68 |
Dress Maker | 44 |
Coal Miner | 40 |
House Keeper | 35 |
Servant | 34 |
General Servant | 30 |
Carter | 26 |
Joiner | 23 |
Tailor | 21 |
Laundress | 20 |
Shoe Maker | 18 |
Cook | 17 |
Domestic Servant | 17 |
None | 16 |
Silk Weaver | 15 |
Nurse | 14 |
Grocer | 14 |
Wife | 14 |
Carpenter | 13 |
Lace Maker | 13 |
House Maid | 13 |
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 |
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 |
The surname Ray is the most popular version of all its varients