Nameling

Ray

Gender
Boy
Say it
RAY
Origin
Germanic
UK rank, 2025
#609 for boys
US rank, 2025
#791 for boys

Ray is a boys' name of Germanic origin, meaning “counsel protector”. In 2025 it ranked 609th for boys in the UK (69 babies) and 791st for boys in the US (319 babies).

What does Ray mean?

Germanic: short form of Raymond

“counsel protector”

A short form of Raymond, now often given in its own right; it also suggests a ray of light.

More on Wiktionary.

Is Ray a girl's or a boy's name?

Ray is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 5 girls and 69 boys in the UK and 19 girls and 319 boys in the US.

How popular is Ray in the UK?

Rank in 2025
#609among boys
Babies in 2025
69about 1 in 4,300 boys
Five-year trend
Steadydown 15% in five years
Same name in a class
under 1%chance among 15 boys

In 2025, 69 boys in the UK were named Ray, making it the 609th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 594th. Its busiest year was 2019, with 103 boys. 5 girls were also named Ray in 2025 (4,276th for girls).

It has been given to fewer boys each year for the last 4 years. 2025 had fewer boys named Ray than any year since 2020.

Half of all the boys named Ray in the UK since 1996 were born between 2010 and 2020, the years shaded on the chart below.

In 2025, 89 boys in the UK were given Ray or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #469, up from #609 for this spelling alone.

In 2025, 7% of the babies named Ray in the UK were girls.

Among boys in 2025, it was 602nd in England and Wales and 560th in Scotland.

1996Busiest: 103 in 20192025
Ray in the UK, year by year
YearBoysRank
202569#609
202470#605
202377#562
202281#533
202191#497
202069#594
2019103#445
201883#523
201787#514
201690#501
201582#530
201486#511
201341#831
201261#634
201143#801
201052#679
200952#672
200848#701
200750#648
200635#798
200527#917
200428#836
200318#1,081
200216#1,109
200119#949
200023#812
199916#1,001
199818#906
199714#1,066
199617#897

How popular is Ray in the US?

Rank in 2025
#791among boys
Babies in 2025
319about 1 in 5,400 boys
Five-year trend
Steadydown 2% in five years
Same name in a class
under 1%chance among 15 boys

In 2025, 319 boys in the US were named Ray, making it the 791st most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 724th. Its busiest year was 1957, with 3,410 boys. 19 girls were also named Ray in 2025 (6,115th for girls).

Half of all the boys named Ray in the US since 1880 were born between 1927 and 1961, the years shaded on the chart below.

In 2025, 621 boys in the US were given Ray or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #488, up from #791 for this spelling alone.

1880Busiest: 3,410 in 19572025
Ray in the US, year by year
YearBoysRank
2025319#791
2024323#777
2023338#763
2022332#760
2021283#840
2020343#724
2019328#735
2018330#726
2017306#767
2016324#750
2015349#712
2014329#728
2013363#665
2012327#719
2011347#678
2010364#659
2009366#669
2008374#651
2007384#633
2006451#556
2005420#563
2004391#577
2003336#617
2002377#578
2001360#573
2000435#516
1999414#513
1998446#489
1997443#483
1996445#483
1995495#454
1994564#405
1993562#412
1992582#394
1991695#349
1990755#328
1989722#326
1988744#305
1987769#283
1986738#284
1985768#271
1984766#273
1983764#272
1982866#254
1981855#255
1980843#261
1979824#258
1978793#255
1977807#251
1976850#238
1975895#228
1974955#220
19731,046#207
19721,178#197
19711,267#196
19701,462#186
19691,522#182
19681,593#170
19671,616#165
19661,825#155
19652,092#147
19642,280#142
19632,581#131
19622,675#132
19612,920#126
19603,079#121
19593,219#121
19583,188#121
19573,410#111
19563,230#113
19553,070#113
19542,976#118
19532,815#115
19522,690#113
19512,678#114
19502,636#110
19492,710#109
19483,134#100
19473,379#97
19463,169#95
19452,740#92
19442,904#86
19433,063#84
19423,067#84
19412,695#83
19402,795#77
19392,709#74
19382,881#72
19372,725#71
19362,939#64
19353,070#64
19343,177#63
19333,032#62
19323,263#59
19313,161#60
19303,254#57
19293,174#57
19283,248#57
19273,253#60
19263,409#57
19253,219#64
19243,369#60
19233,161#61
19223,051#65
19213,075#67
19203,086#67
19192,722#69
19182,763#69
19172,426#74
19162,334#73
19152,365#67
19141,657#74
19131,328#73
19121,050#77
1911602#71
1910545#67
1909475#66
1908446#67
1907475#60
1906421#60
1905424#60
1904432#55
1903397#55
1902391#57
1901338#59
1900457#55
1899315#61
1898394#56
1897397#51
1896426#50
1895380#56
1894379#57
1893378#56
1892385#57
1891360#49
1890349#56
1889355#54
1888331#63
1887258#66
1886271#67
1885237#74
1884232#77
1883202#78
1882195#82
1881148#86
1880142#95

Names like Ray

Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.

Ralph Henry Frederick Frank Otis Louie Freddie Albert Stanley Archie Rupert Harry

Other spellings of Ray

Rey Rei Rae

Names related to Ray

Ra

More Germanic names

Amelia Liam Charlotte William Charlie Emma Ella Millie Albie Matilda Miles Alice Myles Charles Lottie Avery

Every Germanic name

Sources

Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.

To cite this page: Nameling, “Ray: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/ray, updated 20 October 2026.