Meaning not yet researched.
Ray: US boys given the name each year, 1880 to 2025, from Social Security card applications. 319 in 2025. Its best rank was #49 in 1891.
US births per year · SSA card applications
Peaked at #49 in 1891; #792 in 2025. About 94% of babies named Ray in 2025 were boys.
Baby name · US data 1880–2025
#792 for US boys in 2025. Its best year was 1891, at #49.
Hover, tap or use the arrow keys for any year. Years with fewer than five babies of a sex are not published by SSA and show as zero.
Ray: US boys given the name each year from 1880 to 2025. 319 boys in 2025. Peak: #49 in 1891 · most boys in one year: 3,410 (1957).
In 2025, 319 US boys were named Ray, making it the 792nd most common boys’ name of the year, down 13 places from #779 in 2024. That is 4 fewer than the 323 boys named Ray in 2024. Its best rank for boys was #49, reached in 1891. The most boys given the name in a single year was 3,410, in 1957. For comparison, it was #713 in 2015 and #111 in 1950.
Social Security card records list Ray in every one of the 146 years from 1880 to 2025; in 1880 there were 150 babies with the name. In all, 210,307 US babies have been given the name, 2.7% of them girls and 97% boys. Its busiest decade was the 1920s, with 33,190 babies named Ray.
Over the 10 years from 2016 to 2025, 3,226 US boys were named Ray; the busiest of those years was 2020, with 343. In 2025 that was about 1 in 5,354 of the boys in SSA’s list for the year.
Among the states, Ray ranked highest in Utah in 2025, at #545 for boys there. It was not in the top 100 of any state. Related spellings in the SSA files include Raymond (783,311 babies since 1880), Rae (24,420 babies since 1880), Rey (10,222 babies since 1880) and Raya (8,008 babies since 1880). Rarer spellings such as Wray, Rai and Raha are summarised on this page. The open nickname list we use links it to Raymond.
Meaning not yet researched.
We publish a meaning only with a cited source and a confidence label, and never generate one. Meanings are being researched for the most common names first.
Rare spellings summarised here: Wray (882), Rai (520), Raha (420), Raia (411), Rahi (266), Ra (251), Rayya (199), Raaya (163), Raea (135), Rah (36), Rayo (21), Rayea (10), and more.
Numbers are all-time US births. Links come from Wikidata’s “said to be the same as” (P460, CC0) and our spelling rule: at most two letters different, with the same sound pattern.
US boys. Rank within each state. SSA leaves out states where fewer than five boys got the name, so 32 are not listed.
| State | Births 2025 | Rank 2025 | Rank 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Utah | 8 | #545 | #749 |
| California | 48 | #612 | #510 |
| Florida | 28 | #615 | #954 |
| Indiana | 10 | #654 | — |
| Ohio | 14 | #668 | #1,058 |
| Colorado | 8 | #668 | #580 |
| Wisconsin | 7 | #669 | — |
| Kentucky | 6 | #692 | — |
| Texas | 40 | #706 | #505 |
| North Carolina | 12 | #757 | #965 |
| New York | 19 | #760 | #756 |
| Oklahoma | 5 | #778 | — |
| Virginia | 9 | #778 | #1,107 |
| Washington | 8 | #792 | #588 |
| Arizona | 7 | #831 | #712 |
| Georgia | 9 | #970 | #1,345 |
| Michigan | 7 | #976 | #1,205 |
| Illinois | 7 | #1,110 | #816 |
| Tennessee | 5 | #1,152 | #1,019 |
Births and national rank for each year SSA lists the name, newest first.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 19 | #6,274 | 319 | #792 |
| 2024 | 28 | #4,865 | 323 | #779 |
| 2023 | 26 | #5,096 | 338 | #764 |
| 2022 | 29 | #4,767 | 332 | #764 |
| 2021 | 27 | #4,928 | 283 | #841 |
| 2020 | 22 | #5,618 | 343 | #725 |
| 2019 | 17 | #6,954 | 328 | #736 |
| 2018 | 21 | #5,963 | 330 | #728 |
| 2017 | 21 | #5,996 | 306 | #769 |
| 2016 | 21 | #6,146 | 324 | #753 |
| 2015 | 10 | #10,708 | 349 | #713 |
| 2014 | 9 | #11,735 | 329 | #728 |
| 2013 | 11 | #10,103 | 363 | #666 |
| 2012 | 5 | #18,950 | 327 | #719 |
| 2011 | — | — | 347 | #680 |
| 2010 | — | — | 364 | #661 |
| 2009 | 5 | #19,557 | 366 | #670 |
| 2008 | 6 | #17,016 | 374 | #653 |
| 2007 | — | — | 384 | #633 |
| 2006 | — | — | 451 | #557 |
| 2005 | 8 | #12,753 | 420 | #563 |
| 2004 | — | — | 391 | #578 |
| 2003 | — | — | 336 | #618 |
| 2002 | 9 | #10,889 | 377 | #580 |
| 2001 | 6 | #14,908 | 360 | #573 |
| 2000 | 6 | #14,597 | 435 | #517 |
| 1999 | 12 | #8,106 | 414 | #513 |
| 1998 | — | — | 446 | #489 |
| 1997 | 8 | #10,563 | 443 | #483 |
| 1996 | — | — | 445 | #484 |
| 1995 | — | — | 495 | #456 |
| 1994 | 10 | #8,627 | 564 | #405 |
| 1993 | 8 | #10,324 | 562 | #413 |
| 1992 | 12 | #7,403 | 582 | #395 |
| 1991 | 5 | #14,823 | 695 | #349 |
| 1990 | 9 | #9,039 | 755 | #329 |
| 1989 | 10 | #7,889 | 722 | #326 |
| 1988 | 15 | #5,529 | 744 | #305 |
| 1987 | 15 | #5,254 | 769 | #283 |
| 1986 | 6 | #10,528 | 738 | #285 |
| 1985 | 10 | #6,817 | 768 | #271 |
| 1984 | 7 | #8,885 | 766 | #273 |
| 1983 | 13 | #5,375 | 764 | #272 |
| 1982 | 16 | #4,674 | 866 | #254 |
| 1981 | 10 | #6,683 | 855 | #256 |
| 1980 | 10 | #6,641 | 843 | #261 |
| 1979 | 18 | #4,177 | 824 | #258 |
| 1978 | 24 | #3,255 | 793 | #257 |
| 1977 | 18 | #4,022 | 807 | #251 |
| 1976 | 15 | #4,295 | 850 | #238 |
| 1975 | 21 | #3,372 | 895 | #228 |
| 1974 | 13 | #4,651 | 955 | #220 |
| 1973 | 21 | #3,208 | 1,046 | #207 |
| 1972 | 17 | #3,672 | 1,178 | #197 |
| 1971 | 27 | #2,710 | 1,267 | #196 |
| 1970 | 26 | #2,754 | 1,462 | #186 |
| 1969 | 24 | #2,752 | 1,522 | #182 |
| 1968 | 24 | #2,608 | 1,593 | #170 |
| 1967 | 18 | #3,043 | 1,616 | #165 |
| 1966 | 28 | #2,293 | 1,825 | #155 |
| 1965 | 24 | #2,521 | 2,092 | #147 |
| 1964 | 23 | #2,648 | 2,280 | #142 |
| 1963 | 44 | #1,747 | 2,581 | #131 |
| 1962 | 33 | #2,064 | 2,675 | #132 |
| 1961 | 32 | #2,104 | 2,920 | #126 |
| 1960 | 32 | #2,047 | 3,079 | #121 |
| 1959 | 46 | #1,610 | 3,219 | #121 |
| 1958 | 50 | #1,522 | 3,188 | #121 |
| 1957 | 42 | #1,675 | 3,410 | #111 |
| 1956 | 53 | #1,465 | 3,230 | #113 |
| 1955 | 37 | #1,724 | 3,070 | #113 |
| 1954 | 43 | #1,554 | 2,976 | #118 |
| 1953 | 49 | #1,403 | 2,815 | #115 |
| 1952 | 39 | #1,550 | 2,690 | #113 |
| 1951 | 42 | #1,460 | 2,678 | #114 |
| 1950 | 32 | #1,671 | 2,636 | #111 |
| 1949 | 40 | #1,465 | 2,710 | #109 |
| 1948 | 48 | #1,343 | 3,134 | #100 |
| 1947 | 37 | #1,571 | 3,379 | #97 |
| 1946 | 48 | #1,254 | 3,169 | #95 |
| 1945 | 40 | #1,276 | 2,740 | #92 |
| 1944 | 46 | #1,171 | 2,904 | #86 |
| 1943 | 43 | #1,247 | 3,063 | #84 |
| 1942 | 48 | #1,151 | 3,067 | #84 |
| 1941 | 34 | #1,330 | 2,695 | #83 |
| 1940 | 47 | #1,060 | 2,795 | #77 |
| 1939 | 45 | #1,073 | 2,709 | #74 |
| 1938 | 44 | #1,085 | 2,881 | #72 |
| 1937 | 49 | #1,013 | 2,725 | #71 |
| 1936 | 64 | #851 | 2,939 | #65 |
| 1935 | 74 | #791 | 3,070 | #64 |
| 1934 | 68 | #827 | 3,177 | #63 |
| 1933 | 68 | #812 | 3,032 | #62 |
| 1932 | 72 | #806 | 3,263 | #59 |
| 1931 | 83 | #742 | 3,161 | #60 |
| 1930 | 102 | #682 | 3,254 | #57 |
| 1929 | 116 | #649 | 3,174 | #57 |
| 1928 | 95 | #730 | 3,248 | #57 |
| 1927 | 108 | #703 | 3,253 | #60 |
| 1926 | 120 | #661 | 3,409 | #57 |
| 1925 | 97 | #751 | 3,219 | #64 |
| 1924 | 122 | #673 | 3,369 | #60 |
| 1923 | 120 | #681 | 3,161 | #61 |
| 1922 | 96 | #748 | 3,051 | #65 |
| 1921 | 133 | #644 | 3,075 | #67 |
| 1920 | 138 | #606 | 3,086 | #67 |
| 1919 | 126 | #624 | 2,722 | #69 |
| 1918 | 162 | #558 | 2,763 | #69 |
| 1917 | 133 | #594 | 2,426 | #74 |
| 1916 | 132 | #585 | 2,334 | #73 |
| 1915 | 126 | #581 | 2,365 | #67 |
| 1914 | 108 | #538 | 1,657 | #74 |
| 1913 | 67 | #633 | 1,328 | #73 |
| 1912 | 60 | #646 | 1,050 | #77 |
| 1911 | 63 | #527 | 602 | #71 |
| 1910 | 56 | #547 | 545 | #68 |
| 1909 | 50 | #540 | 475 | #67 |
| 1908 | 43 | #573 | 446 | #67 |
| 1907 | 38 | #612 | 475 | #60 |
| 1906 | 44 | #525 | 421 | #60 |
| 1905 | 43 | #527 | 424 | #60 |
| 1904 | 30 | #639 | 432 | #55 |
| 1903 | 34 | #563 | 397 | #55 |
| 1902 | 40 | #508 | 391 | #57 |
| 1901 | 17 | #820 | 338 | #59 |
| 1900 | 35 | #601 | 457 | #55 |
| 1899 | 33 | #523 | 315 | #61 |
| 1898 | 31 | #585 | 394 | #56 |
| 1897 | 44 | #446 | 397 | #52 |
| 1896 | 35 | #503 | 426 | #50 |
| 1895 | 28 | #573 | 380 | #56 |
| 1894 | 40 | #444 | 379 | #57 |
| 1893 | 35 | #453 | 378 | #56 |
| 1892 | 38 | #439 | 385 | #57 |
| 1891 | 36 | #421 | 360 | #49 |
| 1890 | 44 | #381 | 349 | #56 |
| 1889 | 30 | #451 | 355 | #54 |
| 1888 | 29 | #467 | 331 | #63 |
| 1887 | 22 | #487 | 258 | #66 |
| 1886 | 21 | #490 | 271 | #67 |
| 1885 | 25 | #425 | 237 | #74 |
| 1884 | 22 | #437 | 232 | #77 |
| 1883 | 10 | #644 | 202 | #78 |
| 1882 | 15 | #488 | 195 | #83 |
| 1881 | 11 | #533 | 148 | #87 |
| 1880 | 8 | #668 | 142 | #95 |
About the data: counts are Social Security card applications for US births, for names given to at least five babies of a sex in a year (SSA, names.zip, public domain). Ranks follow SSA’s own order: most births first, ties alphabetical. Files retrieved 2026-10-05 (checksum on our sources page).