Explore the Family Name Ray
The meaning of Ray
1. English: from the Middle English personal name Ray or Rey, perhaps a pet form of names beginning in Ray or Rey, especially Raymond. 2. English: nickname from Old French rei ‘king’, denoting someone who behaved in a regal fashion, one with the bearing of a king, or referring to the mock king or lord in festive games and pageants, e.g. at Christmas, May Day, or harvest. Compare Roy and King. 3. English: nickname from Middle English ræghe (Old English rǣge) ‘female roe deer’ or in northern England more likely northern Middle English rā, raa, rae, ray (Old English rā) ‘roe deer’, perhaps for a timid person or swift runner. Compare Roe. 4. English: variant of Rye (1 and 2). 5. English: post-medieval form of Wray, or vice versa. 6. Scottish: shortened and altered form of McRae. 7. French: topographic name for someone who lived by a spring or rushing stream, Old French rai (a noun derivative of Old French raier ‘to gush, stream, or pour’), or a habitational name from a place called Ray. Compare Leray. 8. Americanized form of Polish and Slovenian Raj. 9. Indian: variant of Rai.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Ray in the United States?
The surname Ray saw a slight decrease in popularity in the United States between 2000 and 2010. According to data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the rank of the surname Ray dropped by 5.77 from 208 in 2000 to 220 in 2010. Despite this drop in rank, the actual count of individuals with this surname increased by 3.4% during the same period, from 128,794 to 133,171. However, when adjusted for population growth, the proportion of people named Ray per 100,000 decreased by 5.43, from 47.74 in 2000 to 45.15 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #208 | #220 | -5.77% |
| Count | 128,794 | 133,171 | 3.4% |
| Proportion per 100k | 47.74 | 45.15 | -5.43% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Ray
In terms of ethnic identity, data from the Decennial U.S. Census indicates that there was some fluctuation among the various groups between 2000 and 2010. The largest increase was seen in the Asian/Pacific Islander and Hispanic categories, with increases of 55.20% and 54.22%, respectively. The proportion of individuals identifying as two or more races also increased by 25.00%. The percentage of individuals with the surname Ray who identified as White decreased by 3.38%, but still made up the majority at 74.97% in 2010. The Black category experienced a slight increase of 2.75%, while the American Indian and Alaskan Native category saw an increase of 16.25%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 77.59% | 74.97% | -3.38% |
| Black | 17.07% | 17.54% | 2.75% |
| Hispanic | 1.66% | 2.56% | 54.22% |
| Two or More Races | 1.64% | 2.05% | 25% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 1.25% | 1.94% | 55.2% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.8% | 0.93% | 16.25% |
Ray ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Ray is British & Irish, which comprises 54.4% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (21.8%) and Eastern European (3.5%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Nigerian, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 54.4% |
| French & German | 21.8% |
| Eastern European | 3.5% |
| Other | 20.4% |
Possible origins of the surname Ray
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Ray have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 85.10% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 85.00% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 84.90% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 84.80% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 84.40% |
What Ray haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Ray is A1b1-M118, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup A1b1-M118 is descended from haplogroup A. Other common haplogroups include R-L21 and R-L2, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Smith, Taylor, Mitchell, Brown, Clark, Young, Thompson, Fisher, Roberts, Robinson.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Ray surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins AYour maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Ray have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Ray" Surname 41.5%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Ray" Surname 27.6%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Ray" Surname 23.5%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Ray" Surname 18.1%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Ray?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Ray are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition