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

Rayo, 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 Rayo surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rayo in America

Rayo is the 12242nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rayo surname appeared 2,541 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 Rayo.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rayo 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 Rayo

The surname RAYO is of Spanish origin, derived from the word "rayo" meaning "ray" or "beam of light." It is believed to have originated as a descriptive surname in the late medieval period, likely referring to a person with a bright or radiant appearance or personality.

The earliest recorded instances of the name RAYO can be traced back to the 15th century in various regions of Spain, particularly in Andalusia and Castile. Some of the earliest known bearers of the surname include Juan Rayo, a landowner in Seville documented in 1492, and Pedro Rayo, a soldier who fought in the Conquest of Granada in 1492.

In the 16th century, the name RAYO appeared in several historical records and manuscripts, including the Catastro de Ensenada, a census-like survey conducted in Spain between 1749 and 1756. This document provides valuable insights into the distribution and prevalence of the surname during that era.

One notable bearer of the RAYO surname was Diego Rayo, a Spanish explorer and navigator who accompanied Hernán Cortés on his expedition to Mexico in the early 16th century. He played a crucial role in the conquest of the Aztec Empire and is mentioned in several accounts of the time.

Another prominent figure with the RAYO surname was Francisco Rayo, a 17th-century Spanish painter known for his religious works. Some of his paintings can still be found in churches and museums across Spain, showcasing his artistic talent and contribution to the Spanish Golden Age of art.

In the 18th century, the RAYO surname was associated with several influential families in Spain, including the Rayo de Soto family from Andalusia. This family produced several notable members, such as Manuel Rayo de Soto (1720-1798), a respected lawyer and author of legal treatises.

As the centuries passed, the RAYO surname spread beyond Spain to other parts of the Spanish-speaking world, including Latin America and the Philippines, due to Spanish colonization and migration patterns.

In terms of place names, the surname RAYO is also found in several locations across Spain, such as Rayo de Luz (literally "Beam of Light"), a small village in the province of Málaga, and Rayo Villano, a municipality in the province of Jaén. These place names may have influenced the surname or vice versa, reflecting the close relationship between surnames and geographic origins.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rayo

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

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 Rayo 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 Rayo 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 Rayo was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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