Explore the Family Name Wray
The meaning of Wray
English (northern): 1. from Middle English wra (Old Norse vrá) ‘nook, corner of land’, a topographic name for someone who lived at or by a nook, corner of land, or isolated place, or a habitational name from a place so named, such as Wray in Tunstall (Lancashire), Wrea in Kirkham (Lancashire), and High and Low Wreah in Hensingham (Cumberland). The name was taken to Ulster by a Yorkshire family in the reign of Elizabeth I, and was used interchangeably in the counties of Derry and Donegal with Raw, Ray, Rea, and occasionally McRae. 2. common post-medieval spelling of Ray, Rae, or Ree. 3. in Devon, a variant of Wrey, either a habitational name from Wray Barton (Devon), which takes its name from the river Wray, which probably derives from Old English wearg ‘felon’ + ēa ‘water’, perhaps referring to a stream where felons were executed by drowning. Alternatively, perhaps a nickname meaning ‘the twisted, crooked one’, from Middle English wry(e) ‘awry’, a derivative of Old English wrīgian ‘to turn’.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Wray in the United States?
Based on the data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Wray has seen a slight fluctuation between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it ranked as the 2257th most common surname in the United States with a total count of 14,812. By 2010, although its rank dropped to become the 2367th most popular surname, the overall count increased to 15,405, showing a growth rate of 4%. This indicates that despite the drop in rank, more people were carrying the surname Wray in 2010. The proportion per 100,000 people also decreased slightly by 4.92%, indicating a slight decline in its popularity.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,257 | #2,367 | -4.87% |
| Count | 14,812 | 15,405 | 4% |
| Proportion per 100k | 5.49 | 5.22 | -4.92% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Wray
The ethnic identity associated with the surname Wray has also seen some changes over the same decade, according to the Decennial U.S. Census data. In 2000, the majority of individuals with the surname Wray identified as White (84.82%). By 2010, this percentage had fallen slightly to 82.64%. There was a notable increase in those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander, rising from 0.33% in 2000 to 0.53% in 2010, and those identifying with two or more races, which rose from 1.52% to 2.28%. Additionally, there was an increase in individuals identifying as Hispanic, from 1.17% to 1.79%. The percentage of those identifying as Black also rose slightly from 11.69% to 12.28%. Interestingly, the percentage of individuals identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native remained steady at 0.48%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 84.82% | 82.64% | -2.57% |
| Black | 11.69% | 12.28% | 5.05% |
| Two or More Races | 1.52% | 2.28% | 50% |
| Hispanic | 1.17% | 1.79% | 52.99% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.33% | 0.53% | 60.61% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.48% | 0.48% | 0% |
Wray 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 Wray is British & Irish, which comprises 57.1% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (21.9%) and Eastern European (4.0%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Nigerian, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean.
Ready to learn more about your ancestry? Get the most comprehensive ancestry breakdown on the market by taking our DNA test. Shop 23andMe
| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 57.1% |
| French & German | 21.9% |
| Eastern European | 4.0% |
| Other | 16.9% |
Possible origins of the surname Wray
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 Wray have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 86.60% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 86.60% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 86.60% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 86.60% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 86.40% |
What Wray 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 Wray is R-P311, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-P311 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-DF19 and R-CTS241, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Lamb, Mills, Davis, Hutchinson, Ray, Hall, Perry, Wright, Roberts, Wilkinson.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Wray surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your 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 Wray 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.
"Wray" Surname 46.5%
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.
"Wray" Surname 27.4%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Wray" Surname 23.8%
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.
"Wray" Surname 16.1%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Wray?
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 Wray are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition