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 | 77 |
Buckinghamshire | 65 |
Berkshire | 38 |
Cambridgeshire | 25 |
Channel Islands | 23 |
Cheshire | 206 |
Cornwall | 20 |
Cumberland | 182 |
Derbyshire | 77 |
Devon | 37 |
Dorset | 15 |
Durham | 264 |
Essex | 345 |
Gloucestershire | 59 |
Hampshire | 309 |
Herefordshire | 16 |
Hertfordshire | 83 |
Huntingdonshire (and Rutland) | 25 |
Isle of Man | 4 |
Kent | 251 |
Lancashire | 1,320 |
Leicestershire | 22 |
Lincolnshire | 35 |
London | 1,442 |
Middlesex | 245 |
Northumberland | 142 |
Norfolk | 91 |
Northamptonshire | 47 |
Nottinghamshire | 71 |
Oxfordshire | 71 |
Rutland (and Huntingdonshire) | 25 |
Shropshire | 157 |
Suffolk | 75 |
Somerset | 57 |
Surrey | 179 |
Sussex | 186 |
Staffordshire | 432 |
Warwickshire | 238 |
Westmorland | 9 |
Wiltshire | 12 |
Worcestershire | 161 |
Yorkshire | 412 |
Anglesey | 0 |
Brecknockshire | 2 |
Cardiganshire | 0 |
Carnarvonshire | 4 |
Carmarthenshire | 24 |
Denbighshire | 7 |
Flintshire | 2 |
Glamorgan | 115 |
Merionethshire | 1 |
Montgomeryshire | 1 |
Monmouthshire | 78 |
Pembrokeshire | 18 |
Radnorshire | 0 |
Profession | Census Frequency |
---|---|
Living On Own Means | 111 |
General Labourer | 98 |
General Servant Domestic | 68 |
Cotton Weaver | 64 |
Scholar | 53 |
Dress Maker | 43 |
Domestic Servant | 33 |
Housemaid Domestic | 30 |
Cook Domestic | 29 |
Farmer | 24 |
Servant Domestic | 23 |
Charwoman | 22 |
Agricultural Labourer | 22 |
Carman | 19 |
House Maid Domestic | 18 |
House Keeper Domestic | 17 |
Laundress Wash | 17 |
Bricklayer | 16 |
Dressmaker | 16 |
House Painter | 16 |
School | 15 |
Tailoress | 15 |
At School | 15 |
Coal Miner Hewer | 15 |
Commercial Clerk | 14 |
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