Is Ray a boy or girl name?
Ray is mostly a boy name in the US. In 2024, 27 girls and 322 boys were named Ray, so 7.7% were girls. Across 1880–2024, 2.7% of the 209,970 US babies named Ray were girls.
- Boy rank, 2024
- #779
- Girl rank, 2024
- #4,978
- Babies named Ray since 1880
- 209,970
- Most popular year
- 1926
- 3,529 babies
Boys and girls named Ray, by decade
| Decade | Boys | Girls | Share girls |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 2,371 | 193 | 7.5% |
| 1890s | 3,763 | 364 | 8.8% |
| 1900s | 4,256 | 374 | 8.1% |
| 1910s | 17,792 | 1,033 | 5.5% |
| 1920s | 32,045 | 1,145 | 3.4% |
| 1930s | 30,211 | 669 | 2.2% |
| 1940s | 29,655 | 431 | 1.4% |
| 1950s | 29,914 | 433 | 1.4% |
| 1960s | 22,185 | 282 | 1.3% |
| 1970s | 10,079 | 200 | 1.9% |
| 1980s | 7,838 | 112 | 1.4% |
| 1990s | 5,401 | 64 | 1.2% |
| 2000s | 3,894 | 40 | 1% |
| 2010s | 3,365 | 115 | 3.3% |
| 2020s | 1,615 | 131 | 7.5% |
Every year
| Year | Boys | Boy rank | Girls | Girl rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 322 | #779 | 27 | #4,978 |
| 2023 | 336 | #765 | 26 | #5,093 |
| 2022 | 332 | #762 | 29 | #4,763 |
| 2021 | 282 | #843 | 27 | #4,926 |
| 2020 | 343 | #725 | 22 | #5,614 |
| 2019 | 328 | #736 | 17 | #6,949 |
| 2018 | 330 | #728 | 21 | #5,963 |
| 2017 | 306 | #769 | 21 | #5,995 |
| 2016 | 324 | #753 | 21 | #6,146 |
| 2015 | 348 | #713 | 10 | #10,704 |
| 2014 | 329 | #728 | 9 | #11,730 |
| 2013 | 363 | #666 | 11 | #10,100 |
| 2012 | 327 | #719 | 5 | #18,944 |
| 2011 | 346 | #682 | 0 | – |
| 2010 | 364 | #660 | 0 | – |
| 2009 | 366 | #670 | 5 | #19,555 |
| 2008 | 374 | #653 | 6 | #17,014 |
| 2007 | 384 | #633 | 0 | – |
| 2006 | 451 | #557 | 0 | – |
| 2005 | 420 | #563 | 8 | #12,752 |
| 2004 | 391 | #578 | 0 | – |
| 2003 | 336 | #618 | 0 | – |
| 2002 | 377 | #580 | 9 | #10,889 |
| 2001 | 360 | #573 | 6 | #14,907 |
| 2000 | 435 | #516 | 6 | #14,597 |
| 1999 | 414 | #513 | 12 | #8,106 |
| 1998 | 446 | #489 | 0 | – |
| 1997 | 443 | #483 | 8 | #10,563 |
| 1996 | 445 | #484 | 0 | – |
| 1995 | 495 | #456 | 0 | – |
| 1994 | 564 | #405 | 10 | #8,628 |
| 1993 | 562 | #413 | 8 | #10,324 |
| 1992 | 582 | #395 | 12 | #7,402 |
| 1991 | 695 | #349 | 5 | #14,823 |
| 1990 | 755 | #329 | 9 | #9,038 |
| 1989 | 722 | #326 | 10 | #7,889 |
| 1988 | 744 | #305 | 15 | #5,529 |
| 1987 | 770 | #283 | 15 | #5,254 |
| 1986 | 738 | #285 | 6 | #10,527 |
| 1985 | 768 | #271 | 10 | #6,816 |
| 1984 | 766 | #272 | 7 | #8,886 |
| 1983 | 764 | #272 | 13 | #5,375 |
| 1982 | 867 | #254 | 16 | #4,674 |
| 1981 | 855 | #256 | 10 | #6,683 |
| 1980 | 844 | #261 | 10 | #6,640 |
| 1979 | 824 | #258 | 18 | #4,176 |
| 1978 | 793 | #257 | 24 | #3,256 |
| 1977 | 807 | #251 | 18 | #4,022 |
| 1976 | 850 | #238 | 15 | #4,293 |
| 1975 | 897 | #228 | 21 | #3,373 |
| 1974 | 955 | #220 | 13 | #4,651 |
| 1973 | 1,046 | #207 | 21 | #3,208 |
| 1972 | 1,178 | #197 | 17 | #3,673 |
| 1971 | 1,267 | #196 | 27 | #2,710 |
| 1970 | 1,462 | #186 | 26 | #2,754 |
| 1969 | 1,522 | #182 | 24 | #2,752 |
| 1968 | 1,593 | #170 | 24 | #2,608 |
| 1967 | 1,616 | #165 | 18 | #3,043 |
| 1966 | 1,826 | #155 | 28 | #2,293 |
| 1965 | 2,092 | #147 | 24 | #2,522 |
| 1964 | 2,277 | #143 | 23 | #2,648 |
| 1963 | 2,584 | #131 | 44 | #1,747 |
| 1962 | 2,675 | #132 | 33 | #2,064 |
| 1961 | 2,920 | #126 | 32 | #2,104 |
| 1960 | 3,080 | #121 | 32 | #2,049 |
| 1959 | 3,221 | #121 | 46 | #1,610 |
| 1958 | 3,189 | #121 | 50 | #1,522 |
| 1957 | 3,409 | #111 | 42 | #1,675 |
| 1956 | 3,230 | #113 | 53 | #1,465 |
| 1955 | 3,069 | #113 | 37 | #1,724 |
| 1954 | 2,977 | #118 | 43 | #1,555 |
| 1953 | 2,815 | #115 | 49 | #1,403 |
| 1952 | 2,690 | #113 | 39 | #1,549 |
| 1951 | 2,678 | #114 | 42 | #1,460 |
| 1950 | 2,636 | #111 | 32 | #1,671 |
| 1949 | 2,710 | #109 | 40 | #1,465 |
| 1948 | 3,134 | #100 | 48 | #1,343 |
| 1947 | 3,378 | #97 | 37 | #1,571 |
| 1946 | 3,170 | #95 | 48 | #1,254 |
| 1945 | 2,740 | #92 | 40 | #1,276 |
| 1944 | 2,904 | #86 | 46 | #1,171 |
| 1943 | 3,063 | #84 | 43 | #1,247 |
| 1942 | 3,066 | #84 | 48 | #1,151 |
| 1941 | 2,695 | #83 | 34 | #1,330 |
| 1940 | 2,795 | #77 | 47 | #1,060 |
| 1939 | 2,709 | #74 | 45 | #1,073 |
| 1938 | 2,881 | #72 | 44 | #1,085 |
| 1937 | 2,725 | #71 | 49 | #1,013 |
| 1936 | 2,939 | #65 | 64 | #851 |
| 1935 | 3,070 | #64 | 74 | #791 |
| 1934 | 3,176 | #63 | 68 | #827 |
| 1933 | 3,033 | #62 | 68 | #812 |
| 1932 | 3,264 | #59 | 72 | #806 |
| 1931 | 3,161 | #60 | 83 | #742 |
| 1930 | 3,253 | #57 | 102 | #682 |
| 1929 | 3,174 | #57 | 116 | #649 |
| 1928 | 3,248 | #57 | 95 | #730 |
| 1927 | 3,253 | #60 | 108 | #703 |
| 1926 | 3,409 | #57 | 120 | #661 |
| 1925 | 3,219 | #64 | 97 | #751 |
| 1924 | 3,369 | #60 | 122 | #673 |
| 1923 | 3,161 | #61 | 120 | #681 |
| 1922 | 3,051 | #65 | 96 | #748 |
| 1921 | 3,075 | #67 | 133 | #644 |
| 1920 | 3,086 | #67 | 138 | #606 |
| 1919 | 2,722 | #69 | 126 | #624 |
| 1918 | 2,763 | #69 | 162 | #558 |
| 1917 | 2,426 | #74 | 133 | #594 |
| 1916 | 2,334 | #73 | 132 | #585 |
| 1915 | 2,365 | #67 | 126 | #581 |
| 1914 | 1,657 | #74 | 108 | #538 |
| 1913 | 1,328 | #73 | 67 | #633 |
| 1912 | 1,050 | #77 | 60 | #646 |
| 1911 | 602 | #71 | 63 | #527 |
| 1910 | 545 | #68 | 56 | #547 |
| 1909 | 475 | #67 | 50 | #540 |
| 1908 | 446 | #67 | 43 | #573 |
| 1907 | 475 | #60 | 38 | #612 |
| 1906 | 421 | #60 | 44 | #525 |
| 1905 | 424 | #60 | 43 | #527 |
| 1904 | 432 | #55 | 30 | #639 |
| 1903 | 397 | #55 | 34 | #563 |
| 1902 | 391 | #57 | 40 | #508 |
| 1901 | 338 | #59 | 17 | #820 |
| 1900 | 457 | #55 | 35 | #601 |
| 1899 | 315 | #61 | 33 | #523 |
| 1898 | 394 | #56 | 31 | #585 |
| 1897 | 397 | #52 | 44 | #446 |
| 1896 | 426 | #50 | 35 | #503 |
| 1895 | 380 | #56 | 28 | #573 |
| 1894 | 379 | #57 | 40 | #444 |
| 1893 | 378 | #56 | 35 | #453 |
| 1892 | 385 | #57 | 38 | #439 |
| 1891 | 360 | #49 | 36 | #421 |
| 1890 | 349 | #56 | 44 | #381 |
| 1889 | 355 | #54 | 30 | #451 |
| 1888 | 331 | #63 | 29 | #467 |
| 1887 | 258 | #66 | 22 | #487 |
| 1886 | 271 | #67 | 21 | #490 |
| 1885 | 237 | #74 | 25 | #425 |
| 1884 | 232 | #77 | 22 | #437 |
| 1883 | 202 | #78 | 10 | #644 |
| 1882 | 195 | #83 | 15 | #488 |
| 1881 | 148 | #87 | 11 | #533 |
| 1880 | 142 | #95 | 8 | #668 |
Highest rank
As a boy name, Ray reached #49 in 1891. As a girl name, it reached #381 in 1890. Ranks count every name SSA published for that year and sex, so they go well past the top 1,000.
Names from the same era
These names were also most popular in the 1920s, with a similar number of babies. They can work as sibling or middle names that feel like they belong together.
Names spelled like Ray
Source: US Social Security Administration baby name data, 1880–2024. Counts are Social Security card applications for US births; SSA leaves out names given to fewer than 5 babies in a year. Updated 2026-10-05. How these numbers are made.