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

Rayray, 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 Rayray surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rayray in America

Rayray is the 123064th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rayray surname appeared 140 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Rayray.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rayray 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 Rayray

The surname RAYRAY is believed to have originated in the northern regions of France during the 13th century. It is derived from the Old French word "raier," which means "to streak" or "to stripe." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who worked with striped or patterned fabrics, such as a weaver or a tailor.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name RAYRAY can be found in the archives of the town of Lille, in northern France. A document from 1287 mentions a certain "Jean RAYRAY," who was a merchant dealing in textiles and dyes. This provides evidence of the name's early association with the textile trade.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in the records of the city of Reims, where a family of winemakers bore the surname RAYRAY. This could indicate that the name had also taken on a connection with the cultivation of grapes and the production of wine.

During the Renaissance period, the RAYRAY name gained some prominence in the arts. A notable figure was Pierre RAYRAY (1502-1567), a French painter and sculptor who worked in the court of King Francis I. His works can still be seen in various châteaux and museums throughout France.

Another famous bearer of the name was Jean-Baptiste RAYRAY (1633-1707), a French playwright and author. He is best known for his satirical plays that criticized the excesses of the aristocracy and the clergy during the reign of Louis XIV.

In the 18th century, a branch of the RAYRAY family emigrated to the United States, where they settled in the state of Pennsylvania. One of the earliest recorded members of this branch was Jacques RAYRAY (1712-1781), who established a successful farm and vineyard in the Lehigh Valley region.

Other notable figures with the RAYRAY surname include:

1. Antoine RAYRAY (1789-1861), a French military officer who served under Napoleon Bonaparte and later became a respected author and historian.
2. Marie-Thérèse RAYRAY (1821-1898), a French nun and educator who founded several schools for underprivileged children in Paris.
3. Pierre-Auguste RAYRAY (1876-1942), a French architect known for his work on several prominent government buildings and churches in Paris and throughout France.
4. Émile RAYRAY (1901-1985), a French painter and sculptor whose works were heavily influenced by the Cubist and Surrealist movements.
5. Simone RAYRAY (1928-2017), a French actress and singer who appeared in numerous films and stage productions during the 1950s and 1960s.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rayray

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!