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

Schray, 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 Schray surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Schray in America

Schray is the 72771st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Schray surname appeared 267 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 Schray.

We can also compare 2010 data for Schray 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 Schray

The surname SCHRAY is of German origin, deriving from the Old High German word "schragel" or "schregil," meaning "oblique" or "slanted." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived on a sloping or inclined piece of land.

The earliest known records of the SCHRAY surname date back to the 13th century in the region of Saxony, Germany. It is believed to have originated in the town of Schrayen, located near the city of Leipzig. This place name likely evolved from the Old Germanic word "scrag," meaning "to lean or slant."

One of the earliest documented instances of the SCHRAY name is found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of historical documents from Saxony, dating back to 1289. The record mentions a certain "Henricus de Schrayen," suggesting that the surname was already in use by that time.

During the Middle Ages, the SCHRAY surname appeared in various records and manuscripts across central and eastern Germany. For instance, a "Johannes Schray" was recorded as a landowner in the town of Zittau in 1412.

Notable individuals bearing the SCHRAY surname include:

1. Christoph Schray (1601-1668), a German composer and organist who served as the Kapellmeister at the court of Saxe-Weimar.
2. Johann Gottfried Schray (1683-1754), a German jurist and legal scholar who served as a professor at the University of Leipzig.
3. Friedrich Schray (1797-1862), a German painter and lithographer known for his landscapes and architectural scenes.
4. Wilhelm Schray (1809-1879), a German botanist and naturalist who made significant contributions to the study of mosses and liverworts.
5. Erna Schray (1909-1999), a German actress who appeared in numerous films during the 1930s and 1940s.

While the SCHRAY surname originated in Germany, it eventually spread to other parts of Europe and beyond as people migrated and settled in different regions. Over time, variations in spelling and pronunciation emerged, such as Schrey, Schreyer, and Schreier, reflecting local linguistic influences and dialects.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Schray

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

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

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

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