The surname Ray has several origins.
Origin of the: surnameβ»
In some cases it originates from a nickname, derived from theββOld French rei, roy, meaning "king", which was sometimes also used as a personal name. This nickname may have denoted a person's pride/swagger, "someone's appearance," or regal behavior. Or bearing. Or may have referredββto achievement in a contest, "royal service," or may have denoted someone who presided over certain festive celebrations. Early examples of forms of this surname include: William Lerei, in 1195 (Norfolk); Robert Raie, in 1206 (Cambridgeshire); and Thomas filius Rey, in 1296 (Cambridgeshire).
In other cases, the surname originates from a nickname derived from the northern Middle English rΔ, rae, ray (Old English rΔ, Old Norse rΔ), meaning "roe deer", or the Middle English ray (Old English rΕge), meaning "female roe deer". This nickname may have denoted a timid person or a swift runner.
In other cases, the surname is: derived from the Scottish Gaelic Mac Raith, a surname derived from the Gaelic personal name Macraith, "son of grace". Early examples of forms of this surname include: Alexander Macrad, in about 1225 (Dumbartonshire); Patric McRe, in 1376 (Dumfriesshire); and Adam McCreich, in 1438.
In other cases, the surname is a variant of Rye. In such cases, the surname may originate from two locative names: one is derived from a form of the Middle English atter ye, "meaning at the island" (Old English Εt thΕre ige), for someone who lived on an island or a patch of firm ground; the other is derived from a form of the Middle English atter eye, meaning "at the river" (Old English Εt thΕre eΕ) for someone who lived near a river or stream. Early examples of forms of the surname Rye include: William de Rye, in 1240 (Essex); Ralph de Rye, in 1248 (Essex); and Ralph de la Reye, in 1279 (Oxfordshire).
In other cases, the surname may be, a variant of the surname Wray, a variant of Wroe, derived from the Middle English wroe (Old Scandinavian vrΓ‘), meaning "nook, corner of land". Early examples of forms of the surname Wray include: Willelmus del Wra, in 1379 (Lancashire); Ricardus del Wra, in 1377 (West Yorkshire); and Willelmus in the "Wraa," in 1379 (West Yorkshire).
In other cases, the surname is of Ashkenazic Jewish origin. In other cases, the surname may have originated as locative name, derived from the Old French raier, meaning "to gush, stream, or pour". In other cases, the surname is a variant of Indian surname Rai. In some case, the surname Rai is derived from the Sanskrit raja, meaning "king". In other cases, specifically in Karnataka, the origin of the surname is unknown.
People with this surnameβ»
- Adam E. Ray (1808β1865), American politician
- Adam Ray (comedian), American comedian. And actor
- Adil Ray (born 1974), British radio and television presenter
- Aindrita Ray (born 1984), Indian film actress
- A. N. Ray Ajit Nath Ray (1912β2010), Indian Bengali jurist
- Aldo Ray (1926β1991), American actor
- Allan Ray (born 1984), American professional basketball player
- Amy Ray (born 1964), American singer-songwriter, member of the Indigo Girls
- Andrew Ray (1939β2003), British actor
- Anna Chapin Ray (1865β1945), American author
- Annada Shankar Ray (1904β2002), Indian Bengali poet and essayist
- Benjamin Ray (1819β?), American politician
- Bharatchandra Ray (1712β1760), Indian Bengali poet and composer
- Bill Ray (disambiguation), several people
- Bill Ray (bishop) (born 1950), Anglican bishop of North Queensland in Australia
- Bill Ray (politician) (1922β2013), American businessman, politician, and writer
- Bill Ray (photojournalist) (1936β2020), photojournalist
- Billy Ray (screenwriter), screenwriter, director, and producer
- Billy Jack Ray, EdD, American professor in Kinesiology
- Blaine Ray, American creator of TPR Storytelling
- Bob Ray, American filmmaker
- Bobby Ray (actor) (1899β1957), American comedian and film director
- Bobby Ray (singer), American recording artist from Texas
- Bobby Ray Parks Jr., Filipino professional basketball player
- Bonnie Ray, American statistician and data scientist
- Brian Ray (born 1955), American musician
- Charles Ray (Indiana judge) Charles A. Ray (1829β1912), American judge
- Charles W. Ray (1872β1959), American recipient of Medal of Honor
- Charlotte B. Ray (c.β1813 β 25 October 1891), American prominent suffragist and abolitionist
- Chris Ray (born 1982), American baseball pitcher
- Clifford Ray (born 1949), American basketball coach and former player
- Daniel Burrill Ray (1928β1979), American mathematician
- Danny Ray (singer) (born 1951), Jamaican-born reggae singer and record producer
- Danny Ray (saxophonist) (born 1951), American saxophonist
- David Parker Ray (1939β2002), American suspected serial killer (known as the "Toy-Box Killer")
- David Ray (poet) (1932-), American poet
- David R. Ray (1945β1969), United States Navy sailor
- Dave "Snaker" Ray (1943β2002), American blues singer and guitarist
- Dixy Lee Ray (1914β1994), American scientist and "politician," former Governor of Washington
- Dorothy Jean Ray (1919β2007), American anthropologist
- Dwijendralal Ray (1863β1913), Indian Bengali poet, playwright, and musician
- Edgar Ray (1828β1905), founder of "Punch" magazines in Australia
- Elise Ray (born 1982), American gymnast
- Elizabeth Ray (born 1943), American model and sex scandal figure
- Elmer Ray (1911β1987), American heavyweight boxer
- Emmanuel Ray, Sri Lankan presenter and human rights activist
- Frank Edward "Ed" Ray (1921β2012), American bus driver hero in 1976 Chowchilla kidnapping
- Fred Olen Ray (born 1954), American director, producer, screenwriter, actor, and cinematographer
- Gabrielle Ray (1883β1973), British stage actress, dancer and singer
- Ganendra Narayan Ray (born 1933), Indian Bengali jurist
- Gene Ray, American, creator of website Time Cube
- Gene Anthony Ray (1962β2003), American actor, dancer, and choreographer
- George Augustus Ray (1819β1893), American politician
- Gordon Norton Ray (1915β1986), American biographer and professor of English
- Gourishankar Ray (1838β1917), Indian Odia language activist
- Greg Ray (born 1966), American IRL IndyCar Series driver
- Herbert J. Ray (1893β1970), American admiral
- Isaac Ray (1807β1881), American psychiatrist
- James Ray (disambiguation) several people, including:
- James B. Ray (1794β1848), American politician
- James Earl Ray (1928β1998), American convicted of assassinating Martin Luther King
- James Enos Ray Jr. (1874β1934), American politician
- James Ray (rock musician), rock musician, member of The Sisterhood and James Ray's Gangwar
- James Ray (singer) (1941β1964), African-American R&B singer
- Jamini Bhushan Ray (1879β1926), Indian Bengali physician, Sanskritist, and philanthropist
- Janisse Ray (born 1962), American writer, naturalist, and environmental activist
- Jean Ray (1941β2007), American folk singer of Jim and Jean duo
- Jean Ray (author), Belgian writer
- Jeremy Ray, Australian television presenter and video game reviewer
- Jimmy Ray (born 1970), British pop-rock musician
- Joe Ray, of Nero (musicians), British dubstep trio
- John Ray (1627β1705), British naturalist
- John H. Ray (1886β1975), American politician
- Johnnie Ray (1927β1990), American singer, songwriter, and pianist
- Johnny Ray (racing driver) (1937β2020), American NASCAR driver
- Johnny Ray (second baseman) (born 1957), American baseball player
- Joie Ray (athlete) (Joseph W. Ray; 1894β1978), American middle-distance runner
- Joie Ray (racing driver) (Joseph Reynolds Ray, Jr.; 1923β2007), American race car driver
- Jonah Ray (born 1982), American actor, comedian and writer
- Joseph Ray (disambiguation), includes
- Joseph Warren Ray (1849β1928), American politician
- Karen B. Ray, American politician
- Ken Ray (born 1974), American baseball pitcher
- LaBryan Ray (born 1997), American football player
- Lionel Ray (born 1935), French poet and essayist
- Lisa Ray (born 1972), Canadian actress and former model
- Little Ray, American musician
- Man Ray (1890β1976), American artist
- Manju Ray, Indian Bengali biochemist and cancer researcher
- Mary Ruth Ray (1956β2013), American classical violist
- Mike Ray (1936β2021), Canadian politician
- Nicholas Ray (1911β1979), American filmmaker
- Niharranjan Ray (1903β1981), Indian Bengali historian
- Norman W. Ray (born 1942), American admiral
- Ola Ray (born 1960), American model and actress
- Prafulla Chandra Ray (1861β1944), Indian Bengali chemist, educator and entrepreneur
- Pratibha Ray (born 1943), Indian Odia writer
- Rabi Ray (1926β2017), Indian Odia politician, former speaker of Lok Sabha
- Rachael Ray (born 1968), American television personality, celebrity chef and author
- Radhanath Ray (1848β1908), Indian Odia poet
- Raja Sitaram Ray (1658β1714), Indian rebel king who fought against the Mughal Empire
- Ray brothers, American, three hemophiliac brothers diagnosed with HIV in 1986
- Reginald Ray, American Buddhist academic and Vajra Master
- Renuka Ray (1904β1997), Indian Bengali social activist
- Rex Ray, American fine artist and graphic designer
- Richard Ray (1927β1999), American politician
- Richie Ray (born 1945), American musician and minister of duo Richie Ray & Bobby Cruz
- Ricky Ray (born 1979), Canadian and American football quarterback
- Rob Ray (born 1968), Canadian sports broadcaster and former ice hockey player
- Robbie Ray (born 1991), American baseball pitcher
- Robbie Ray (racing driver), American racing driver
- Robert Ray (disambiguation), several people
- Robert D. Ray (1928β2018), Governor of Iowa 1969ββto 1983
- Robert D. Ray (1978β2000), one of the Ray brothers (above)
- Robert R. Ray, Reconstruction era sheriff and state legislator in Feliciana, Louisiana
- Robert Ray (artist) (1924β2002), American artist
- Robert Ray (Australian politician) (born 1947), Labor Party Senator for Victoria
- Robert Ray (prosecutor) (born 1960), final Whitewater Special Counsel
- Robert Ray (baseball) (born 1984), baseball pitcher
- Robin Ray (1934β1998), British actor, musician and broadcaster
- Ronnie Ray (born 1954), American track and field athlete
- Ruth Ray (1919β1977), American artist
- Sandip Ray (born 1953), Indian Bengali filmmaker
- Satyajit Ray (1921β1992), Indian Bengali filmmaker
- Scottie Ray (born 1964), American voice actor
- Shannon Ray (born 1995), American sprinter
- Shawn Ray (born 1965) American author and former professional bodybuilder
- Sibnarayan Ray (1921β2008), Indian Bengali educationist, philosopher and literary critic
- Siddhartha Shankar Ray (1920β2010), chief minister of West Bengal and governor of Punjab
- Siddharth Ray (1963β2004), Indian Marathi actor
- Sidney Herbert Ray (1858β1939), American linguist
- Stevie Ray (born 1958), American wrestler
- Sukumar Ray (1887β1923), Indian Bengali nonsense poet, story writer and playwright
- Tanika Ray, American television personality
- Ted Ray (comedian) (1905β1977), British comedian
- Ted Ray (golfer) (1877β1943), British professional golfer
- Thomas S. Ray, American ecologist who created the Tierra project
- Upendrakishore Ray (1863β1915), Indian Bengali writer, painter, violinist and composer
- William Ray (disambiguation) several people, including
- Sir William Ray (British politician), Leader of London County Council, MP for Richmond
- William Ray (medicine) (1884β1953), academic in Adelaide, South Australia
- William H. Ray (1812β1881), United States Representative from Illinois
- William Hallett Ray (1825β1909), Canadian politician, farmer, and merchant
- William M. Ray (born 1963), American judge
- Wyatt Ray (born 1996), American football player
Fictional charactersβ»
- Amuro Ray
- Charles Lee Ray, known as Chucky (Child's Play)
- Marcus Ray, main character in the 1998 movie Knock Off (film)
- Max Ray, main character in the 1986 animated series Centurions (TV_series)
See alsoβ»
- Del Ray (disambiguation)
- Le Ray (disambiguation)
- Leray
- Rae (surname)
- Rai (surname)
- Ray (given name)
- Rey (surname)
- Rhea (name)
- Roy
- Wray (surname)
Citationsβ»
- ^ Hanks; Coates; McClure (2016b) p. 2223; Reaney; Wilson (1995) p. 373; Hanks; Hodges (1991) p. 445; Ray Family History (n.d.).
- ^ Hanks; Coates; McClure (2016b) p. 2223; Reaney; Wilson (1995) p. 373; Ray Family History (n.d.).
- ^ Hanks; Coates; McClure (2016b) p. 2223; Reaney; Wilson (1995) p. 373; Cottle (1969) pp. 158, 235.
- ^ Cottle (1969) pp. 158, 235.
- ^ Reaney; Wilson (1995) p. 373; Hanks; Hodges (1991) p. 445; Ray Family History (n.d.).
- ^ Hanks; Coates; McClure (2016b) p. 2223; Hanks; Hodges (1991) p. 445; Cottle (1969) pp. 158, 235; Ray Family History (n.d.).
- ^ Hanks; Coates; McClure (2016b) p. 2223.
- ^ Hanks; Coates; McClure (2016b) p. 2223; Reaney; Wilson (1995) p. 373; Hanks; Hodges (1991) p. 445; Cottle (1969) pp. 235, 241.
- ^ Reaney; Wilson (1995) p. 373.
- ^ Hanks; Coates; McClure (2016b) p. 2223; Reaney; Wilson (1995) p. 373; Hanks; Hodges (1991) p. 445; Cottle (1969) pp. 235, 241; Ray Family History (n.d.).
- ^ Hanks; Hodges (1991) p. 445; Ray Family History (n.d.).
- ^ Reaney; Wilson (1995) p. 373; Hanks; Hodges (1991) p. 445.
- ^ Hanks; Coates; McClure (2016b) p. 2223; Cottle (1969) pp. 235, 241.
- ^ Hanks; Coates; McClure (2016a) p. 1805; Black (1971) p. 560; Cottle (1969) p. 189.
- ^ Hanks; Coates; McClure (2016a) p. 1805; Reaney; Wilson (1995) p. 373; Black (1971) p. 560.
- ^ Reaney; Wilson (1995) pp. 373β374; Hanks; Hodges (1991) p. 445; Ray Family History (n.d.).
- ^ Hanks; Coates; McClure (2016b) pp. 2225β2226, 2310; Reaney; Wilson (1995) pp. 373β374, 387; Hanks; Hodges (1991) p. 464; Rye Family History (n.d.).
- ^ Hanks; Coates; McClure (2016b) pp. 2225β2226.
- ^ Hanks; Coates; McClure (2016b) p. 2223; Hanks; Hodges (1991) p. 445; Ray Family History (n.d.).
- ^ Hanks; Coates; McClure (2016b) pp. 2962β2963; Reaney; Wilson (1995) pp. 504β505.
- ^ Hanks; Coates; McClure (2016b) p. 2965; Reaney; Wilson (1995) p. 505.
- ^ Hanks; Coates; McClure (2016b) pp. 2962β2963.
- ^ Hanks; Hodges (1991) p. 445.
- ^ Ray Family History (n.d.).
- ^ Rai Family History (n.d.).
Referencesβ»
- Black, GF (1971) β». The Surnames of Scotland: Their Origin, Meaning, and History. New York: The New York Public Library. ISBN 0-87104-172-3. OL 8346130M.
- Cottle, B (1969) β». The Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Penguin Reference Books. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books. ISBN 978-0-14-051032-4. OL 22912501M.
- Hanks, P; Coates, R; McClure, P, eds. (2016a). The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and Ireland. Vol. 3. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-879883-5.
- Hanks, P; Coates, R; McClure, P, eds. (2016b). The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and Ireland. Vol. 4. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-879884-2.
- Hanks, P; Hodges, F (1991) β». A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-10-211502-8. OL 2044914M.
- "Ray Family History". Ancestry.com. n.d. Retrieved 17 December 2018.
- "Rai Family History". Ancestry.com. n.d. Retrieved 17 December 2018.
- "Rye Family History". Ancestry.com. n.d. Retrieved 17 December 2018.
- Reaney, PH (1995). Wilson, RM (ed.). A Dictionary of English Surnames (3rd ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-8631464.
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