Toray
An English masculine name derived from the Japanese word "tora" meaning tiger.
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Toray. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Toray today is around 33 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Toray births was 1992 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Toray. 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
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Toray. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
1992
5 babies that year
Average age
33
years old
1992 SSA rank
#9,701
Tracked since 1992
Popularity
Toray: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Toray 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 Toray during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Toray
The given name Toray is believed to have originated in the Polynesian languages, specifically from the Maori and Tahitian cultures of the Pacific Islands. Its roots can be traced back to the early 16th century when these regions were first encountered by European explorers.
Toray is thought to be derived from the Tahitian word "tora'i", which means "to shine" or "to be radiant". This name was likely given to children who were seen as bright and full of life, reflecting the warm and vibrant nature of the Polynesian cultures.
While there are no definitive historical records or ancient texts that mention the name Toray directly, its linguistic origins suggest a close connection to the rich oral traditions and mythologies of the Polynesian peoples. These stories often celebrated the beauty and power of nature, and the name Toray may have been inspired by these themes.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Toray comes from the late 18th century, when a Tahitian chief named Toray was documented by European explorers visiting the islands. Another notable figure was Toray Tamahori, a Maori leader and warrior who lived in the early 19th century and played a significant role in the battles against British colonial forces in New Zealand.
In the 20th century, the name Toray gained some prominence in the world of sports. Toray Gutshall, born in 1924, was an American baseball player who played for several teams in the Major League Baseball (MLB) during the 1940s and 1950s. Toray Fattor, born in 1942, was a renowned Australian rules football player who represented the Hawthorn Football Club in the Victorian Football League (now the Australian Football League) during the 1960s and 1970s.
Another notable figure with the name Toray was Toray Crier, an American artist and painter who was born in 1908 and became known for his vibrant and expressive works that captured the spirit of the American Southwest.
Lastly, Toray Muto, born in 1927, was a Japanese businessman and entrepreneur who founded the Toray Industries, a multinational corporation specializing in textiles, plastics, and chemical products.
People
Toray + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Toray as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with T
Other first names starting with T with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Toray: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Toray?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Toray 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 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Toray a common name?
We classify Toray as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% 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 Toray most popular?
The single biggest year for Toray was 1992, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Toray is about 33 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 Toray in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Toray a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Toray 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 Toray still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Toray 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 Toray 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 Toray?
Find out how many Americans are named Toray on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.