Explore the Family Name Cray
The meaning of Cray
1. Irish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Craobhaigh ‘descendant of Craobhach’, a byname meaning ‘curly(-headed)’ or ‘prolific’ (from craobh ‘branch, bough’). Compare Creevy. 2. English: habitational name from Foots Cray, North Cray, Saint Mary Cray, Saint Paul’s Cray, all in Kent and all named from the River Cray, which is named with a Celtic word meaning ‘fresh, clean’; or less likely from Cray in Buckden, Yorkshire, which is probably named with the same word. 3. Americanized form of German Krey and perhaps also Kray, and Dutch Kraaij or Kraij (see Kraai).
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Cray in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Cray has slightly declined in popularity over the last decade. In 2000, it was the 10,689th most common surname in the United States and by 2010, it had dropped to the 11,560th position, a decrease of 8.15%. The total count of individuals with the surname also decreased slightly from 2,743 in 2000 to 2,719 in 2010, a decline of 0.87%. Similarly, the proportion per 100,000 people also fell from 1.02 to 0.92, representing a 9.8% drop.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #10,689 | #11,560 | -8.15% |
| Count | 2,743 | 2,719 | -0.87% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.02 | 0.92 | -9.8% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Cray
The Cray surname displays a diverse ethnic identity according to the Decennial U.S. Census data. As of 2010, the largest group of individuals bearing the Cray surname identified as White, although this percentage fell from 74.41% in 2000 to 71.97% in 2010. The second-largest group identified as Black, which increased from 21.98% in 2000 to 23.83% in 2010. There was an increase in individuals identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and Hispanic, up 50.00% and 38.46% respectively, but still only represented a small portion of all Crays. The number of individuals reporting two or more races and American Indian and Alaskan Native both saw slight decreases over the years.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 74.41% | 71.97% | -3.28% |
| Black | 21.98% | 23.83% | 8.42% |
| Two or More Races | 1.68% | 1.62% | -3.57% |
| Hispanic | 1.17% | 1.62% | 38.46% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.44% | 0.66% | 50% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.33% | 0.29% | -12.12% |