Rayland
A masculine name derived from the word "ray", meaning a beam of light.
Name Census estimates that about 634 living Americans carry the first name Rayland. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Rayland today is around 14 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Rayland births was 2018 (50 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Rayland. 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
634
~ 1 in 540,622 Americans
Peak year
2018
50 babies that year
Average age
14
years old
2024 SSA rank
#4,657
Tracked since 1956
Popularity
Rayland: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Rayland from the 1950s through to the 2020s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 395 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Rayland remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Rayland 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 Rayland during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Raylands live
The SSA's state-level files cover 5 states and territories. Texas, Tennessee, Florida recorded the most babies named Rayland, while Ohio, Michigan, Florida recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 9 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Rayland
The given name Rayland is a relatively modern invention, believed to have originated in the English-speaking world during the 20th century. It is a combination of the name Ray, a diminutive form of the name Raymond, and the suffix "-land," which may have been added for flair or to give the name a more unique and distinctive sound.
The name Raymond itself is derived from the Germanic elements "ragin," meaning "counsel" or "advice," and "mund," meaning "protector." It was introduced to England by the Normans after the Norman Conquest in 1066 and gained popularity throughout medieval Europe.
While there are no known historical references or ancient texts that mention the name Rayland specifically, some notable individuals who have borne this name include Rayland Baxter, an American singer-songwriter born in 1983, and Rayland Woodard, an American football player who played for the Minnesota Vikings in the 1990s.
Another individual with the name Rayland is Rayland Brooks, an American actor and comedian born in 1977, known for his roles in television shows and films such as "Insecure" and "The Chi." Additionally, Rayland Batson, an American football coach and former player, was born in 1972 and has worked as a coach for various college and professional teams.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Rayland is Rayland Taylor, an American baseball player who played in the Negro leagues during the 1940s and 1950s. Born in 1923, Taylor was known for his skills as an outfielder and his contributions to the integration of professional baseball.
While the name Rayland may not have a long and storied history like some more traditional names, its unique sound and modern origins have attracted a growing number of parents in recent years, contributing to its increasing popularity as a first name.
People
Rayland + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Rayland as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with R
Other first names starting with R with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Rayland: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Rayland?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 634 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Rayland 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 540,622 US residents.
Is Rayland a common name?
We classify Rayland as "Very Rare". It ranks above 86.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 646 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Rayland most popular?
The single biggest year for Rayland was 2018, when 50 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Rayland is about 14 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Rayland a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Rayland 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.