Ray is a boy name with a classic feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Ray means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Ray across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Ray has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Ray is a boy name of Germanic origin meaning “wise protector”. a short form of Raymond.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 210,307 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 1,395 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 200 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 25 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 113 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 Ray per year, United States (1880 to 2025). United States peaked in 1926 (3,529/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 2019 (98/yr) · Scotland peaked in 2013 (10/yr) · Ireland peaked in 2024 (8/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 2021 (6/yr).
Ray has been a fairly common baby name in the United States. It was most common in 1926, when it ranked #132 nationally (given to 3,529 babies that year), and a popular choice in the 1920s.
Roy · Raya · Rae · Rio · Rey · Riya · Reya · Raye
Not sure if it's the one? The best way to know is to see if your partner loves it too. Swipe baby names with your partner and match on the ones you both ❤️, free, no account needed to start.
Find your name together →