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 | 95 |
| Berkshire | 21 |
| Cambridgeshire | 31 |
| Channel Islands | 43 |
| Cheshire | 199 |
| Cornwall | 22 |
| Cumberland | 170 |
| Derbyshire | 80 |
| Devon | 47 |
| Dorset | 12 |
| Durham | 248 |
| Essex | 293 |
| Gloucestershire | 37 |
| Hampshire | 238 |
| Herefordshire | 4 |
| Hertfordshire | 100 |
| Huntingdonshire (and Rutland) | 45 |
| Isle of Man | 2 |
| Kent | 213 |
| Lancashire | 1,418 |
| Leicestershire | 15 |
| Lincolnshire | 29 |
| London | 1,339 |
| Middlesex | 152 |
| Northumberland | 184 |
| Norfolk | 78 |
| Northamptonshire | 38 |
| Nottinghamshire | 37 |
| Oxfordshire | 69 |
| Rutland (and Huntingdonshire) | 45 |
| Shropshire | 161 |
| Suffolk | 98 |
| Somerset | 64 |
| Surrey | 103 |
| Sussex | 163 |
| Staffordshire | 394 |
| Warwickshire | 191 |
| Westmorland | 18 |
| Wiltshire | 14 |
| Worcestershire | 117 |
| Yorkshire | 535 |
| Anglesey | 0 |
| Brecknockshire | 3 |
| Cardiganshire | 0 |
| Carnarvonshire | 3 |
| Carmarthenshire | 22 |
| Denbighshire | 2 |
| Flintshire | 0 |
| Glamorgan | 99 |
| Merionethshire | 0 |
| Montgomeryshire | 1 |
| Monmouthshire | 44 |
| Pembrokeshire | 14 |
| Radnorshire | 2 |
| Profession | Census Frequency |
|---|---|
| Scholar | 1,157 |
| Cotton Weaver | 106 |
| Coal Miner | 96 |
| General Labourer | 83 |
| Agricultural Labourer | 75 |
| Dress Maker | 61 |
| Living On Own Means | 61 |
| Domestic Servant | 60 |
| Labourer | 50 |
| General Servant Domestic | 49 |
| Living On Her Own Means | 46 |
| Laundress | 34 |
| Farm Labourer | 32 |
| General Servant | 28 |
| Clerk | 27 |
| Blacksmith | 26 |
| House Keeper | 22 |
| Carter | 21 |
| Farm Servant | 20 |
| Gardener | 20 |
| Carman | 20 |
| Farmer | 19 |
| Hawker | 17 |
| Painter | 17 |
| Cotton Winder | 17 |
| 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