Ray
A diminutive of the male given names Raymond, Rayane, and Rayan, also used as a formal given name.
Every Ray since 1880 — 210,307 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Ray
Ray is uncommon for boys in the United States, ranked #792 in 2025 with 319 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.
Since 1880, 210,307 American babies have been named Ray. Its peak came in 1926, when 3,529 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 1920s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Ray stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Ray year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 19 | #6,274 | 319 | #792 |
| 2024 | 28 | #4,865 | 323 | #779 |
| 2023 | 26 | #5,096 | 338 | #764 |
| 2022 | 29 | #4,767 | 332 | #764 |
| 2021 | 27 | #4,928 | 283 | #841 |
| 2020 | 22 | #5,618 | 343 | #725 |
| 2019 | 17 | #6,954 | 328 | #736 |
| 2018 | 21 | #5,963 | 330 | #728 |
| 2017 | 21 | #5,996 | 306 | #769 |
| 2016 | 21 | #6,146 | 324 | #753 |
| 2015 | 10 | #10,708 | 349 | #713 |
| 2014 | 9 | #11,735 | 329 | #728 |
| 2013 | 11 | #10,103 | 363 | #666 |
| 2012 | 5 | #18,950 | 327 | #719 |
| 2011 | — | — | 347 | #680 |
| 2010 | — | — | 364 | #661 |
| 2009 | 5 | #19,557 | 366 | #670 |
| 2008 | 6 | #17,016 | 374 | #653 |
| 2007 | — | — | 384 | #633 |
| 2006 | — | — | 451 | #557 |
| 2005 | 8 | #12,753 | 420 | #563 |
| 2004 | — | — | 391 | #578 |
| 2003 | — | — | 336 | #618 |
| 2002 | 9 | #10,889 | 377 | #580 |
| 2001 | 6 | #14,908 | 360 | #573 |
| 2000 | 6 | #14,597 | 435 | #517 |
| 1995 | — | — | 495 | #456 |
| 1990 | 9 | #9,039 | 755 | #329 |
| 1985 | 10 | #6,817 | 768 | #271 |
| 1980 | 10 | #6,641 | 843 | #261 |
| 1975 | 21 | #3,372 | 895 | #228 |
| 1970 | 26 | #2,754 | 1,462 | #186 |
| 1965 | 24 | #2,521 | 2,092 | #147 |
| 1960 | 32 | #2,047 | 3,079 | #121 |
| 1955 | 37 | #1,724 | 3,070 | #113 |
| 1950 | 32 | #1,671 | 2,636 | #111 |
| 1945 | 40 | #1,276 | 2,740 | #92 |
| 1940 | 47 | #1,060 | 2,795 | #77 |
| 1935 | 74 | #791 | 3,070 | #64 |
| 1930 | 102 | #682 | 3,254 | #57 |
| 1925 | 97 | #751 | 3,219 | #64 |
| 1920 | 138 | #606 | 3,086 | #67 |
| 1915 | 126 | #581 | 2,365 | #67 |
| 1910 | 56 | #547 | 545 | #68 |
| 1905 | 43 | #527 | 424 | #60 |
| 1900 | 35 | #601 | 457 | #55 |
| 1895 | 28 | #573 | 380 | #56 |
| 1890 | 44 | #381 | 349 | #56 |
| 1885 | 25 | #425 | 237 | #74 |
| 1880 | 8 | #668 | 142 | #95 |
Famous people named Ray
- Ray Bradbury Writer · 1920–2012
- Ray Kroc Businessperson · 1902–1984
- Ray Charles Musician · 1930–2004
- Ray Manzarek Musician · 1939–2013
- Ray Tomlinson Inventor · 1941–2016
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Ray mean?
A diminutive of the male given names Raymond, Rayane, and Rayan, also used as a formal given name.
How popular is the name Ray in 2025?
Ray ranked #792 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 319 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Ray?
210,307 babies have been named Ray in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Ray most popular?
Ray peaked in 1926, when 3,529 newborns received the name.
Is Ray a boy or girl name?
Ray is overwhelmingly a boy's name — 97% of babies with the name.
Is the name Ray rising or falling?
Ray has been roughly stable over the past decade.
Who are famous people named Ray?
Well-known people named Ray include Ray Bradbury (writer), Ray Kroc (businessperson), Ray Charles (musician).