Shray
A name of Indian origin meaning "illustrious" or "excellence".
Name Census estimates that about 190 living Americans carry the first name Shray. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Shray today is around 13 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Shray births was 2018 (18 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Shray. 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
190
~ 1 in 1,803,970 Americans
Peak year
2018
18 babies that year
Average age
13
years old
2024 SSA rank
#7,172
Tracked since 1996
Popularity
Shray: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Shray from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 72 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Shray remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Shray 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 Shray during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Shray
The name Shray is believed to have originated from the Sanskrit language and can be traced back to ancient India. Sanskrit is an ancient Indo-Aryan language that served as the classical literary and scholarly language of the Indian subcontinent. The word Shray likely derives from the Sanskrit root word "shri," which means prosperity, wealth, and auspiciousness.
In Hinduism, Shri is also a title of respect and reverence, often used before the names of deities and spiritual figures. The name Shray may have been used as a way to seek blessings or to bestow prosperity upon the bearer of the name. It is possible that the name was inspired by Hindu scriptures or ancient texts that referenced the concept of Shri.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Shray can be traced back to ancient India, although the exact dates are difficult to pinpoint due to the scarcity of historical records. One of the earliest known individuals with the name Shray was Shray Dhar, a prominent scholar and philosopher who lived in the 8th century CE. He was known for his contributions to the field of Vedic literature and his writings on Hindu philosophy.
Another notable figure in history with the name Shray was Shray Karna, a military leader and warrior who served under the Maurya Empire during the reign of Chandragupta Maurya in the 4th century BCE. He is celebrated for his valor and strategic prowess in various battles and conquests.
In the 16th century, Shray Bhatia was a renowned poet and writer who composed works in the Braj Bhasha language. His poetry, which often focused on themes of love and devotion, was widely appreciated and influential in the literary circles of that era.
During the 18th century, Shray Narayan was a revered spiritual leader and yogi who gained fame for his teachings on meditation and self-realization. He is believed to have had a significant impact on the spread of yoga and Hindu philosophy across various regions of India.
In more recent times, Shray Agarwal, born in 1932, was a prominent Indian businessman and philanthropist who founded the Shray Group of Companies. He was known for his contributions to various social and educational initiatives, as well as his role in promoting economic development in India.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who carried the name Shray, but the name's origins and cultural significance can be traced back to ancient India and the Sanskrit language, where it was likely used to bestow blessings and prosperity upon its bearers.
People
Shray + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Shray as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with S
Other first names starting with S with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Shray: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Shray?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 190 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Shray 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 1,803,970 US residents.
Is Shray a common name?
We classify Shray as "Very Rare". It ranks above 73.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 192 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Shray most popular?
The single biggest year for Shray was 2018, when 18 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Shray is about 13 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Shray a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Shray 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.