Ray
#6,116 for girls in 2025, 19 births · #791 for boys in 2025, 319 births
Given to boys 97.3% of the time
- Peak · boys
- 1891 · 360 births
- Debut · boys
- 142 births
- In top 100 · boys
- 69 yrsof 146 years
- Total births · boys
- 204,701since 1880
Ray over time
Rank among boys' names. Click any year to open it.
Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.
Show data table
| Year | girls | boys | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| rank | births | rank | births | |
| 2025 | #6,116 | 19 | #791 | 319 |
| 2024 | #4,772 | 28 | #777 | 323 |
| 2023 | #4,999 | 26 | #763 | 338 |
| 2022 | #4,671 | 29 | #760 | 332 |
| 2021 | #4,833 | 27 | #840 | 283 |
| 2020 | #5,487 | 22 | #724 | 343 |
| 2019 | #6,698 | 17 | #735 | 328 |
| 2018 | #5,785 | 21 | #726 | 330 |
| 2017 | #5,821 | 21 | #767 | 306 |
| 2016 | #5,985 | 21 | #750 | 324 |
| 2015 | #10,148 | 10 | #712 | 349 |
| 2014 | #10,955 | 9 | #728 | 329 |
| 2013 | #9,612 | 11 | #665 | 363 |
| 2012 | #16,869 | 5 | #719 | 327 |
| 2011 | — | #678 | 347 | |
| 2010 | — | #659 | 364 | |
| 2009 | #17,294 | 5 | #669 | 366 |
| 2008 | #15,405 | 6 | #651 | 374 |
| 2007 | — | #633 | 384 | |
| 2006 | — | #556 | 451 | |
| 2005 | #11,834 | 8 | #563 | 420 |
| 2004 | — | #577 | 391 | |
| 2003 | — | #617 | 336 | |
| 2002 | #10,246 | 9 | #578 | 377 |
| 2001 | #13,521 | 6 | #573 | 360 |
| 2000 | #13,154 | 6 | #516 | 435 |
| 1999 | #7,716 | 12 | #513 | 414 |
| 1998 | — | #489 | 446 | |
| 1997 | #9,802 | 8 | #483 | 443 |
| 1996 | — | #483 | 445 | |
| 1995 | — | #454 | 495 | |
| 1994 | #8,122 | 10 | #405 | 564 |
| 1993 | #9,559 | 8 | #412 | 562 |
| 1992 | #7,067 | 12 | #394 | 582 |
| 1991 | #13,147 | 5 | #349 | 695 |
| 1990 | #8,501 | 9 | #328 | 755 |
| 1989 | #7,449 | 10 | #326 | 722 |
| 1988 | #5,321 | 15 | #305 | 744 |
| 1987 | #5,074 | 15 | #283 | 769 |
| 1986 | #9,545 | 6 | #284 | 738 |
| 1985 | #6,457 | 10 | #271 | 768 |
| 1984 | #8,153 | 7 | #273 | 766 |
| 1983 | #5,148 | 13 | #272 | 764 |
| 1982 | #4,527 | 16 | #254 | 866 |
| 1981 | #6,323 | 10 | #255 | 855 |
| 1980 | #6,319 | 10 | #261 | 843 |
| 1979 | #4,052 | 18 | #258 | 824 |
| 1978 | #3,196 | 24 | #255 | 793 |
| 1977 | #3,911 | 18 | #251 | 807 |
| 1976 | #4,154 | 15 | #238 | 850 |
| 1975 | #3,259 | 21 | #228 | 895 |
| 1974 | #4,459 | 13 | #220 | 955 |
| 1973 | #3,122 | 21 | #207 | 1,046 |
| 1972 | #3,543 | 17 | #197 | 1,178 |
| 1971 | #2,665 | 27 | #196 | 1,267 |
| 1970 | #2,705 | 26 | #186 | 1,462 |
| 1969 | #2,704 | 24 | #182 | 1,522 |
| 1968 | #2,538 | 24 | #170 | 1,593 |
| 1967 | #2,963 | 18 | #165 | 1,616 |
| 1966 | #2,249 | 28 | #155 | 1,825 |
| 1965 | #2,464 | 24 | #147 | 2,092 |
| 1964 | #2,600 | 23 | #142 | 2,280 |
| 1963 | #1,738 | 44 | #131 | 2,581 |
| 1962 | #2,031 | 33 | #132 | 2,675 |
| 1961 | #2,070 | 32 | #126 | 2,920 |
| 1960 | #2,013 | 32 | #121 | 3,079 |
| 1959 | #1,596 | 46 | #121 | 3,219 |
| 1958 | #1,512 | 50 | #121 | 3,188 |
| 1957 | #1,652 | 42 | #111 | 3,410 |
| 1956 | #1,453 | 53 | #113 | 3,230 |
| 1955 | #1,691 | 37 | #113 | 3,070 |
| 1954 | #1,540 | 43 | #118 | 2,976 |
| 1953 | #1,389 | 49 | #115 | 2,815 |
| 1952 | #1,540 | 39 | #113 | 2,690 |
| 1951 | #1,450 | 42 | #114 | 2,678 |
| 1950 | #1,653 | 32 | #110 | 2,636 |
| 1949 | #1,452 | 40 | #109 | 2,710 |
| 1948 | #1,327 | 48 | #100 | 3,134 |
| 1947 | #1,545 | 37 | #97 | 3,379 |
| 1946 | #1,239 | 48 | #95 | 3,169 |
| 1945 | #1,261 | 40 | #92 | 2,740 |
| 1944 | #1,153 | 46 | #86 | 2,904 |
| 1943 | #1,228 | 43 | #84 | 3,063 |
| 1942 | #1,137 | 48 | #84 | 3,067 |
| 1941 | #1,310 | 34 | #83 | 2,695 |
| 1940 | #1,046 | 47 | #77 | 2,795 |
| 1939 | #1,066 | 45 | #74 | 2,709 |
| 1938 | #1,079 | 44 | #72 | 2,881 |
| 1937 | #1,002 | 49 | #71 | 2,725 |
| 1936 | #847 | 64 | #64 | 2,939 |
| 1935 | #785 | 74 | #64 | 3,070 |
| 1934 | #815 | 68 | #63 | 3,177 |
| 1933 | #808 | 68 | #62 | 3,032 |
| 1932 | #801 | 72 | #59 | 3,263 |
| 1931 | #740 | 83 | #60 | 3,161 |
| 1930 | #679 | 102 | #57 | 3,254 |
| 1929 | #648 | 116 | #57 | 3,174 |
| 1928 | #724 | 95 | #57 | 3,248 |
| 1927 | #702 | 108 | #60 | 3,253 |
| 1926 | #660 | 120 | #57 | 3,409 |
| 1925 | #750 | 97 | #64 | 3,219 |
| 1924 | #673 | 122 | #60 | 3,369 |
| 1923 | #678 | 120 | #61 | 3,161 |
| 1922 | #742 | 96 | #65 | 3,051 |
| 1921 | #643 | 133 | #67 | 3,075 |
| 1920 | #605 | 138 | #67 | 3,086 |
| 1919 | #624 | 126 | #69 | 2,722 |
| 1918 | #556 | 162 | #69 | 2,763 |
| 1917 | #592 | 133 | #74 | 2,426 |
| 1916 | #584 | 132 | #73 | 2,334 |
| 1915 | #576 | 126 | #67 | 2,365 |
| 1914 | #536 | 108 | #74 | 1,657 |
| 1913 | #628 | 67 | #73 | 1,328 |
| 1912 | #639 | 60 | #77 | 1,050 |
| 1911 | #522 | 63 | #71 | 602 |
| 1910 | #543 | 56 | #67 | 545 |
| 1909 | #535 | 50 | #66 | 475 |
| 1908 | #567 | 43 | #67 | 446 |
| 1907 | #601 | 38 | #60 | 475 |
| 1906 | #515 | 44 | #60 | 421 |
| 1905 | #519 | 43 | #60 | 424 |
| 1904 | #629 | 30 | #55 | 432 |
| 1903 | #558 | 34 | #55 | 397 |
| 1902 | #502 | 40 | #57 | 391 |
| 1901 | #795 | 17 | #59 | 338 |
| 1900 | #589 | 35 | #55 | 457 |
| 1899 | #514 | 33 | #61 | 315 |
| 1898 | #581 | 31 | #56 | 394 |
| 1897 | #440 | 44 | #51 | 397 |
| 1896 | #499 | 35 | #50 | 426 |
| 1895 | #565 | 28 | #56 | 380 |
| 1894 | #442 | 40 | #57 | 379 |
| 1893 | #449 | 35 | #56 | 378 |
| 1892 | #434 | 38 | #57 | 385 |
| 1891 | #413 | 36 | #49 | 360 |
| 1890 | #378 | 44 | #56 | 349 |
| 1889 | #439 | 30 | #54 | 355 |
| 1888 | #458 | 29 | #63 | 331 |
| 1887 | #471 | 22 | #66 | 258 |
| 1886 | #476 | 21 | #67 | 271 |
| 1885 | #413 | 25 | #74 | 237 |
| 1884 | #425 | 22 | #77 | 232 |
| 1883 | #615 | 10 | #78 | 202 |
| 1882 | #475 | 15 | #82 | 195 |
| 1881 | #503 | 11 | #86 | 148 |
| 1880 | #628 | 8 | #95 | 142 |
In the first year the SSA published name data, Ray was already there! It came in at #95, and was given to 142 baby boys.
Quietest stretch: 1880–1883, when fewer than 210 boys a year got the name.
See more about Ray
- 14 spots since 2024 (#777 → #791)
- 67 spots since 2020 (#724 → #791)
- 79 spots since 2015 (#712 → #791)
- Biggest jump: 80 spots in 2022 (#840 → #760)
- Biggest drop: 116 spots in 2021 (#724 → #840)
- Debuted 1880
- Peaked 1891 at #49 (360 births)
- Not yet halved from its peak
- Top 10: never
- Top 100: 69 yrs · run 1880–1948
- Top 1,000: 146 yrs · run 1880–2025
- Highest: 1 in 281 boys born in 1896 were named Ray (0.36%)
- Latest: 1 in 5,354 boys born in 2025 (0.02%)
- Its best rank, #49 in 1891, was only 1 in 281 (0.36%) — a smaller share of a much bigger birth year
- 15.7% of all boys named Ray (32,045) were born in this decade
Show by decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank | Avg rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 2,371 | #54 (1889) | #74 |
| 1890s | 3,763 | #49 (1891) | #55 |
| 1900s | 4,256 | #55 (1900) | #59 |
| 1910s | 17,792 | #67 (1915) | #71 |
| 1920s | 32,045 | #57 (1926) | #62 |
| 1930s | 30,211 | #57 (1930) | #65 |
| 1940s | 29,656 | #77 (1940) | #91 |
| 1950s | 29,912 | #110 (1950) | #115 |
| 1960s | 22,183 | #121 (1960) | #147 |
| 1970s | 10,077 | #186 (1970) | #224 |
| 1980s | 7,835 | #254 (1982) | #278 |
| 1990s | 5,401 | #328 (1990) | #431 |
| 2000s | 3,894 | #516 (2000) | #593 |
| 2010s | 3,367 | #659 (2010) | #714 |
| 2020s | 1,938 | #724 (2020) | #776 |
All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 boys in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.
Ray in 1972
Top girls' names in 1972
Top boys' names in 1972
More about 1972
girls
1,521,244 girls got a published name in 1972; 1 in 89,485 of them was named Ray, which outranked 63.3% of the 9,666 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 17.6% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).
- #3,404Waleska18
- #3,404Yolandra18
- #3,404Zara18
- #3,543Ray17
- #3,543Abena17
- #3,543Alex17
- #3,543Alicea17
- #3,714Adella16
- #3,714Adelle16
- #3,714Adrena16
Tied with 170 names at #3,543; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.
Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.
boys
1,621,608 boys got a published name in 1972; 1 in 1,377 of them was named Ray, which outranked 96.6% of the 5,751 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 26.5% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).
Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.