Find out how popular the last name Cray is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Cray.

Cray, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Cray surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Cray in America

Cray is the 11560th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Cray surname appeared 2,719 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Cray.

We can also compare 2010 data for Cray to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Cray

The surname CRAY has its origins in the Anglo-Saxon era of England. It is believed to have originated from the Old English word "cræg," meaning "rock" or "crag." This suggests that the name may have been derived from a topographical feature or a place name associated with a rocky or craggy area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name CRAY can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land and property ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears in various forms, such as "Cragh" and "Cragg," indicating that the spelling was not yet standardized.

During the Middle Ages, the CRAY name was prevalent in various regions of England, particularly in the northern counties. It is likely that the name was borne by individuals who lived near or were associated with rocky or craggy areas, reflecting the descriptive nature of the name's origins.

In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the CRAY surname was John Cray (c. 1515-1572), an English scholar and clergyman who served as the Dean of Chichester Cathedral. Another individual of note was Sir Robert Cray (1576-1642), a member of the English Parliament and a supporter of the Royalist cause during the English Civil War.

In the 18th century, Samuel Cray (1710-1786) was a prominent English architect known for his work on various churches and public buildings in London and the surrounding areas. His son, John Cray (1741-1821), followed in his footsteps and became a respected architect as well.

The 19th century saw the emergence of George Cray (1819-1892), a British industrialist and founder of the Cray Paper Company, which played a significant role in the development of the paper industry in England.

Throughout its history, the CRAY surname has been associated with various place names and locations in England, such as Cray St. Paul and Cray Marshes in Kent, as well as Crayke in North Yorkshire. These place names may have influenced the spelling variations of the surname over time.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Cray

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Cray.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Cray was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Cray has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Cray was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Cray, please contact us.

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