2000
#208
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 128,794
First available Census row
Per 100,000 47.74
Common Last name
Ray
A surname of English origin, derived from a nickname referring to a person known for being wise or clever.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 149,406 Americans carry the last name Ray. That puts it at #219 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 43.59 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,294 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ray surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Ray with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
149K
1 in 2,294
Census rank
#219
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
43.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
130K
common in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 130,289 bearers of the surname Ray in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 43.59 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 219th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ray, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.2%. The next largest groups are Black (17.1%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ray
The surname Ray has its origins in the Old French word 'rai', which means 'ray' or 'beam of light'. This surname likely emerged in medieval times, around the 11th or 12th century, in the regions of Normandy and Brittany in northern France.
It is believed that the name Ray was initially used as a nickname or descriptive term for someone who had a radiant or cheerful personality, or perhaps someone with bright or golden hair. It could also have been applied to people who lived near a clearing in a forest where sunlight streamed through.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Ray can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings and wealth in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears as 'Rai' in this historical document.
In the 12th century, a notable individual named Richard Rai was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in England, indicating the presence of the surname in that region during that time period.
The surname Ray has also been associated with various place names, such as Ray in Oxfordshire, England, and Raye in Normandy, France. These place names may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname over time.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the surname Ray dates back to the 13th century, with a person named John Ray mentioned in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Ray, including:
1. John Ray (1627-1705), an English naturalist and botanist, considered one of the founders of modern plant taxonomy.
2. Satyajit Ray (1921-1992), an Indian filmmaker, widely regarded as one of the greatest auteurs of world cinema.
3. Man Ray (1890-1976), an American visual artist known for his contributions to the Dada and Surrealist movements.
4. James Earl Ray (1928-1998), an American criminal convicted of assassinating Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968.
5. Nicholas Ray (1911-1979), an American film director known for his work in the film noir and western genres, including the classic "Rebel Without a Cause".
The surname Ray has maintained its presence throughout various regions, particularly in England, France, and parts of the United States, where it continues to be a common surname to this day.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ray
Among Census respondents with the surname Ray, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.2%. The next largest groups are Black (17.1%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Ray bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Ray surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White71.2% · 92,801
- Black or African American17.1% · 22,264
- Two or more races4.6% · 6,004
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 4,521
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.7% · 3,539
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1,160
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ray
Ray appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#220
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 133,171
+4,377 bearers (+3.4%)
Per 100,000 45.15
Rank movement Down 12 places
2020
#219
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 130,289
-2,882 bearers (-2.2%)
Per 100,000 43.59
Rank movement Up 1 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #208 | 128,794 | 47.74 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #220 | 133,171 | 45.15 | +4,377 bearers (+3.4%) | Down 12 places |
| 2020 | #219 | 130,289 | 43.59 | -2,882 bearers (-2.2%) | Up 1 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Ray surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #220 | #219 | 0.5% |
| Count | 133,171 | 130,289 | -2.2% |
| Per 100K | 45.15 | 43.59 | -3.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ray bearers went from 133,171 to 130,289 (-2.2% change). The surname moved up 1 positions in the national ranking, going from #220 to #219.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Ray
FAQ
Ray surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ray?
Name Census estimates that about 149,406 living Americans carry the surname Ray. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,294 residents.
How common is Ray?
Ray ranks #219 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Common." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 43.59 per 100,000 residents, which is about 44 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 130,289 people with the surname Ray. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (149,406), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 43.59 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 43.59 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 44 of them to have the surname Ray.
Has Ray become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ray went from 133,171 recorded bearers to 130,289. That is a decrease of 2,882 (-2.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #220 to #219.
What does the Census say about the background of Ray?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ray, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.2%. The next largest groups are Black (17.1%) and Two or More Races (4.6%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Ray in the 2020 Census, accounting for 71.2% (92,801 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ray appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (71.2%), Black (17.1%), Two or More Races (4.6%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Ray (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Ray mean?
A surname of English origin, derived from a nickname referring to a person known for being wise or clever. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Ray (43.59 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Ray?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.