gender neutral
Ray
counsel, protection
About Ray
Ray is sunshine condensed into three letters. Short, bright, and impossibly friendly, this name radiates warmth and approachability. There's an honesty to Ray—no pretension, no complications, just straightforward charm. Throughout generations, Ray has maintained its appeal precisely because it doesn't try too hard. It's the name of someone you'd want as your neighbor, your teammate, your friend. Ray works beautifully as a standalone name or as a nickname for Raymond or Raylan, offering flexibility as your child grows. The simplicity of Ray is its superpower; in a world of elaborate names, it cuts through with clarity and confidence. Parents who choose Ray often value authenticity and substance over flash. This name suits an active, outdoorsy child as easily as it does a thoughtful, creative one. Ray doesn't pigeonhole—it liberates. It's a name that will never feel dated, never need explanation, and never cause your son to wish for something different.
Popularity of the Name Ray
Rank among the 1,000 most popular baby names, by year.
| United States | United Kingdom | New Zealand | Ireland | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1880 | #95 | ||||
| 1881 | #87 | ||||
| 1882 | #83 | ||||
| 1883 | #78 | ||||
| 1884 | #77 | ||||
| 1885 | #74 | ||||
| 1886 | #67 | ||||
| 1887 | #66 | ||||
| 1888 | #63 | ||||
| 1889 | #54 | ||||
| 1890 | #56 | ||||
| 1891 | #49 | ||||
| 1892 | #57 | ||||
| 1893 | #56 | ||||
| 1894 | #57 | ||||
| 1895 | #56 | ||||
| 1896 | #50 | ||||
| 1897 | #52 | ||||
| 1898 | #56 | ||||
| 1899 | #61 | ||||
| 1900 | #55 | ||||
| 1901 | #59 | ||||
| 1902 | #57 | ||||
| 1903 | #55 | ||||
| 1904 | #55 | ||||
| 1905 | #60 | ||||
| 1906 | #60 | ||||
| 1907 | #60 | ||||
| 1908 | #67 | ||||
| 1909 | #67 | ||||
| 1910 | #68 | ||||
| 1911 | #71 | ||||
| 1912 | #77 | ||||
| 1913 | #73 | ||||
| 1914 | #74 | ||||
| 1915 | #67 | ||||
| 1916 | #73 | #149 | |||
| 1917 | #74 | ||||
| 1918 | #69 | ||||
| 1919 | #69 | ||||
| 1920 | #67 | #148 | |||
| 1921 | #67 | #129 | |||
| 1922 | #65 | #144 | |||
| 1923 | #61 | #134 | |||
| 1924 | #60 | #135 | |||
| 1925 | #64 | ||||
| 1926 | #57 | ||||
| 1927 | #60 | #141 | |||
| 1928 | #57 | #130 | |||
| 1929 | #57 | #128 | |||
| 1930 | #57 | #121 | |||
| 1931 | #60 | ||||
| 1932 | #59 | #139 | |||
| 1933 | #62 | #145 | |||
| 1934 | #63 | ||||
| 1935 | #64 | #145 | |||
| 1936 | #65 | ||||
| 1937 | #71 | ||||
| 1938 | #72 | #149 | |||
| 1939 | #74 | #136 | |||
| 1940 | #77 | ||||
| 1941 | #83 | ||||
| 1942 | #84 | #179 | |||
| 1943 | #84 | #149 | |||
| 1944 | #86 | #176 | |||
| 1945 | #92 | #168 | |||
| 1946 | #95 | #165 | |||
| 1947 | #97 | #182 | |||
| 1948 | #100 | #197 | |||
| 1949 | #109 | #154 | |||
| 1950 | #111 | #183 | |||
| 1951 | #114 | #175 | |||
| 1952 | #113 | #196 | |||
| 1953 | #115 | #166 | |||
| 1954 | #118 | #198 | |||
| 1955 | #113 | #211 | |||
| 1956 | #113 | ||||
| 1957 | #111 | ||||
| 1958 | #121 | ||||
| 1959 | #121 | #208 | |||
| 1960 | #121 | ||||
| 1961 | #126 | ||||
| 1962 | #132 | ||||
| 1963 | #131 | ||||
| 1964 | #142 | ||||
| 1965 | #147 | ||||
| 1966 | #155 | ||||
| 1967 | #165 | #259 | #302 | ||
| 1968 | #170 | #272 | |||
| 1969 | #182 | ||||
| 1970 | #186 | #290 | #271 | ||
| 1971 | #196 | #337 | |||
| 1972 | #197 | ||||
| 1973 | #207 | ||||
| 1974 | #220 | #319 | |||
| 1975 | #228 | #271 | #373 | ||
| 1976 | #238 | #307 | #309 | ||
| 1977 | #251 | ||||
| 1978 | #257 | ||||
| 1979 | #258 | ||||
| 1980 | #261 | #281 | |||
| 1981 | #256 | ||||
| 1982 | #254 | ||||
| 1983 | #272 | ||||
| 1984 | #273 | #362 | |||
| 1985 | #271 | ||||
| 1986 | #285 | #310 | |||
| 1987 | #283 | #355 | |||
| 1988 | #305 | #292 | |||
| 1989 | #326 | ||||
| 1990 | #329 | ||||
| 1991 | #349 | #763 | |||
| 1992 | #395 | #292 | #721 | ||
| 1993 | #413 | ||||
| 1994 | #405 | #720 | |||
| 1995 | #456 | #801 | |||
| 1996 | #484 | ||||
| 1997 | #483 | ||||
| 1998 | #489 | #925 | #706 | ||
| 1999 | #513 | ||||
| 2000 | #517 | #822 | |||
| 2001 | #573 | #987 | #496 | #835 | |
| 2002 | #580 | #440 | #905 | ||
| 2003 | #618 | #927 | |||
| 2004 | #578 | #841 | #427 | #858 | |
| 2005 | #563 | #919 | #566 | ||
| 2006 | #557 | #806 | #972 | ||
| 2007 | #633 | #651 | #877 | ||
| 2008 | #653 | #703 | #802 | ||
| 2009 | #670 | #688 | #849 | #902 | |
| 2010 | #661 | #679 | #697 | #885 | |
| 2011 | #680 | #796 | #602 | ||
| 2012 | #719 | #644 | #979 | ||
| 2013 | #666 | #831 | #593 | #928 | |
| 2014 | #728 | #515 | #538 | #886 | |
| 2015 | #713 | #528 | #490 | #936 | |
| 2016 | #753 | #511 | #455 | #749 | |
| 2017 | #769 | #517 | #687 | #800 | |
| 2018 | #728 | #527 | #830 | #949 | |
| 2019 | #736 | #447 | #853 | ||
| 2020 | #725 | #592 | #866 | #986 | |
| 2021 | #841 | #499 | #858 | #933 | |
| 2022 | #764 | #535 | #613 | #827 | |
| 2023 | #764 | #564 | #890 | #876 | |
| 2024 | #779 | #607 | #446 | ||
| 2025 | #792 | #615 | #748 | #909 |
Top names by country: United States · United Kingdom · New Zealand · Ireland · Canada
Variations of Name Ray
Names Similar to Ray
Nicknames for Ray
- Rayie
- Rayray
- Raymo
- Rayman
- Rays
Famous People Named Ray
| Ray Charles | Influential American singer and songwriter |
| Ray Bradbury | Celebrated American author known for his science fiction works |
| Ray Liotta | American actor famous for his roles in "Goodfellas" and "Field of Dreams" |
| Ray Romano | American comedian and actor known for the sitcom "Everybody Loves Raymond" |
| Ray Lewis | Former American football player and Pro Football Hall of Famer |
| Ray Allen | Retired professional basketball player and NBA champion |
| Ray Kurzweil | American inventor and futurist known for his work in artificial intelligence |
| Ray Fisher | American actor recognized for his portrayal of Cyborg in the DC Extended Universe |
| Ray Davies | British musician and lead vocalist of The Kinks |
| Ray Park | British actor and martial artist who played Darth Maul in "Star Wars - Episode I - The Phantom Menace" |
| Ray Winstone | English actor known for his roles in "Sexy Beast" and "The Departed" |
| Ray LaMontagne | American singer-songwriter with a soulful folk-rock sound |
| Ray Hudson | English football player turned commentator known for his passionate style |
| Ray Nagin | Former mayor of New Orleans, Louisiana |
| Ray Mancini | Former professional boxer and world lightweight champion |
| Ray Whitney | Retired Canadian ice hockey player and Stanley Cup winner |
| Ray Parlour | Former English football player who represented Arsenal |
| Ray Clemence | Late English goalkeeper and Liverpool legend |
| Ray Stevenson | Retired Canadian curler and Olympic gold medalist |
Characters Named Ray
| Ray Stantz | One of the Ghostbusters from the film franchise |
| Ray Donovan | Title character from the TV series "Ray Donovan" |
| Ray Kowalski | Character from the TV series "Due South" |
| Ray Velcoro | Character from the TV series "True Detective" |
| Ray Gillette | Animated character from the TV show "Archer" |
| Ray Barone | Main character from the sitcom "Everybody Loves Raymond" |
| Ray Ploshansky | Character from the TV series "Girls" |
| Ray Krebbs | Character from the TV series "Dallas" |
| Ray Palmer | Also known as The Atom from DC Comics |
| Ray Kon | Character from the anime series "Beyblade" |
| Ray Sinclair | Character from the video game series "Tomb Raider" |
| Ray Holt | Captain of the 99th precinct in the TV show "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" |
| Ray Terrill | DC Comics character known as The Ray |
| Ray Zancanelli | Character from the TV series "White Collar" |
| Ray Vecchio | Character from the TV series "Due South" |