Rae is a girl name with a classic feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Rae means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Rae across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Rae has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Rae is a girl name of Hebrew origin meaning “ewe, or grace”. A short form of Rachel, also a feminine form of Ray.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 24,420 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 1,833 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 246 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 14 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 11 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Rae per year, United States (1880 to 2025). United States peaked in 1956 (412/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 2018 (155/yr) · Scotland peaked in 2021 (24/yr) · Ireland peaked in 2025 (5/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 2018 (4/yr).
Rae has been a fairly common baby name in the United States. It was most common in 1956, when it ranked #805 nationally (given to 412 babies that year).
Roy · Ray · Raya · Rio · Rhea · Rey · Raye · Ria
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