Rayson
A masculine name derived from the surname Rayson, of English origin, meaning "son of Raymond".
Name Census estimates that about 255 living Americans carry the first name Rayson. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Rayson today is around 14 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Rayson births was 2017 (19 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Rayson. 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
255
~ 1 in 1,344,135 Americans
Peak year
2017
19 babies that year
Average age
14
years old
2024 SSA rank
#7,601
Tracked since 1984
Popularity
Rayson: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Rayson from the 1980s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 116 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Rayson remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Rayson 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 Rayson during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Raysons live
Origin
Meaning and history of Rayson
The name Rayson is believed to have its origins in the Old English language, derived from the combination of the words "ræd" and "sunu," which together mean "son of counsel" or "son of wisdom." This name emerged during the Anglo-Saxon period in Britain, which lasted from the 5th to the 11th centuries AD.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Rayson can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land ownership and taxation commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The Domesday Book mentions a landowner named Rayson of Lincolnshire, indicating the name's use in medieval England.
In the 13th century, a scholar and historian named Rayson of Durham authored several chronicles documenting the history of the region. His works, preserved in various monastic libraries, provide insight into the cultural and religious life of the time.
During the Renaissance period, a notable figure bearing the name Rayson was Sir Rayson Fairfax, a military commander who fought alongside Oliver Cromwell during the English Civil War in the 17th century. Born in 1612 and died in 1677, he played a significant role in the Parliamentarian victory against the Royalists.
In the world of literature, Rayson Smollett was a Scottish novelist and playwright of the 18th century, best known for his picaresque novel "The Adventures of Roderick Random." He was born in 1721 and died in 1771, leaving a lasting impact on the literary landscape of his time.
Another prominent individual with the name Rayson was Sir Rayson Stokes, an Irish mathematician and physicist who made significant contributions to the study of fluid dynamics and optics. Born in 1819 and died in 1903, he is particularly renowned for his work on the phenomenon known as the Stokes shift.
While the name Rayson has its roots in the Old English language and has been recorded throughout various historical periods, it is important to note that its usage and popularity have fluctuated over time. The examples provided offer a glimpse into the rich tapestry of individuals who have carried this name throughout history.
People
Rayson + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Rayson 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
Rayson: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Rayson?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 255 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Rayson 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 1,344,135 US residents.
Is Rayson a common name?
We classify Rayson as "Very Rare". It ranks above 77.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 258 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Rayson most popular?
The single biggest year for Rayson was 2017, when 19 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Rayson is about 14 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Rayson a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Rayson 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.