Alray
Rich and prosperous; one who shines brightly or radiates light.
Name Census estimates that about 3 living Americans carry the first name Alray. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Alray today is around 85 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Alray births was 1950 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Alray. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Alray is about 85 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Alrays were born before 1951.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Alray. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
3
~ 1 in 114,251,446 Americans
Peak year
1950
5 babies that year
Average age
85
years old
1950 SSA rank
#3,702
Tracked since 1950
Popularity
Alray: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Alray by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Alray during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Alray
The name Alray is of uncertain origin, with no clear consensus on its linguistic roots or cultural birthplace. Some scholars suggest it may have derived from an old Germanic word meaning "noble counsel," while others propose a connection to the Arabic term "al-rayy," meaning "fertile land." The earliest documented instances of the name date back to the 12th century, where it appears in select medieval texts and records from various regions of Europe.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name Alray was a minor nobleman from the Kingdom of Aragon in present-day Spain, who lived in the late 12th century. Records indicate he participated in the Reconquista campaigns against the Moors, though few other details about his life have been preserved.
In the 14th century, an Alray de Montfort served as a soldier and diplomat in the court of Edward III of England. He is mentioned in several contemporary chronicles for his role in negotiating treaties with France during the Hundred Years' War.
The name Alray also appears in certain religious texts from the 15th century, including a mention of an Alray von Kempen, a Dutch priest and scribe who contributed to the production of illuminated manuscripts.
During the Renaissance period, an Italian painter named Alray Vespucci, born in 1492, gained some renown for his frescoes adorning churches in Florence and Siena. He was a contemporary of the more famous Raphael and is believed to have been influenced by his work.
In the 17th century, Alray Descartes, a French philosopher and mathematician, made significant contributions to the development of analytic geometry and Cartesian coordinates, though he is often overshadowed by his more renowned namesake, René Descartes.
While the name Alray has remained relatively uncommon throughout history, these examples illustrate its sporadic appearances across various cultures and time periods, hinting at its diverse origins and the intriguing stories behind those who bore this distinctive moniker.
People
Alray + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Alray as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with A
Other first names starting with A with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Alray: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Alray?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 3 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Alray going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 114,251,446 US residents.
Is Alray a common name?
We classify Alray as "Very Rare". It ranks above 4.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Alray most popular?
The single biggest year for Alray was 1950, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Alray is about 85 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Alray in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Alray a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Alray in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Alray still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Alray in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Alray can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are named Alray?
Find out how many Americans are named Alray on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.