Bray
A name with probable Celtic origins denoting a residence on a hill.
Name Census estimates that about 746 living Americans carry the first name Bray. It is a predominantly male name (92.6% of registrations). The average person named Bray today is around 16 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Bray births was 2024 (46 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Bray. 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.
People living today
746
~ 1 in 459,456 Americans
Peak year
2024
46 babies that year
Average age
16
years old
2024 SSA rank
#2,789
Tracked since 1970
Gender
Gender distribution for Bray
Bray leans heavily male at 92.6% of total registrations, but 56 girls have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Bray as a male name
- Ranked #2,789 in 2024
- 46 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2024 (46 births)
Bray as a female name
- Ranked #11,385 in 2022
- 8 female births in 2022
- Peak: 2016 (9 births)
Popularity
Bray: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Bray from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 265 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Bray remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Bray 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 Bray during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Brays live
Origin
Meaning and history of Bray
The name Bray has its origins in the Old French language and is believed to have derived from the word "braie," which referred to a type of clothing or garment worn in the medieval period. This term can be traced back to the Gallo-Romance era, which spanned from the 6th to the 9th century.
During the Middle Ages, the name Bray was particularly prevalent in regions of modern-day France and England. It is thought to have been initially used as a surname, often referring to individuals who were involved in the production or trade of these garments.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Bray can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landowners and estates in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The Domesday Book mentions several individuals with the surname Bray, indicating that the name was already in use by the late 11th century.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Bray. One such person was Sir Reginald Bray (c. 1440-1503), an English architect and diplomat who served under King Henry VII. He played a significant role in the construction of several important buildings, including St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle and the Henry VII Lady Chapel at Westminster Abbey.
Another prominent figure was Thomas Bray (1656-1730), an English clergyman and philanthropist who founded the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge (SPCK) and the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts (SPG). These organizations were instrumental in promoting education and spreading Christianity throughout the British Empire.
In the realm of literature, Bray has been the name of several writers and poets. One such individual was Maude Casey Bray (1864-1936), an American poet and author known for her works that celebrated nature and rural life. Her collection of poems, titled "Heart Songs," was published in 1907.
The name Bray also found its way into the world of sports. Bray Wyatt (born 1987) is an American professional wrestler currently signed with WWE. He has won multiple championships and is known for his unique persona and wrestling style.
Finally, Bray Leino (1926-2010) was a Finnish artist and sculptor whose works focused on abstract and modernist themes. He is considered one of the most influential Finnish artists of the 20th century and his sculptures can be found in various public spaces and museums across Finland.
People
Bray + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Bray as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with B
Other first names starting with B with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Bray: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Bray?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 746 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Bray 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 459,456 US residents.
Is Bray a common name?
We classify Bray as "Very Rare". It ranks above 88% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 757 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Bray most popular?
The single biggest year for Bray was 2024, when 46 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Bray is about 16 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Bray a male name?
Yes, 92.6% of people registered as Bray 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.
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.