Boys' name · since 1880
Ray
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 204,701 babies named Ray, peaking in 1957. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #183 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #791 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 204,701
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
204,701 babies have been named Ray since 1880, making it today's #791 boys' name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Ray has been recorded 204,701 times among boys since 1880, currently ranked #791 nationally and more common than 94% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 1920s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #183 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #791 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 204,701 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Ray ranks #183 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #791 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 204,701 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #183 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #791 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 204,701
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
Ray's 204,701 recorded births place it above 99.59% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
51 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by Texas.
How Ray compares
204,701 Top 2% higher than 98% of 13,930 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Ray's all-time total is 555x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Ray | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 204,701 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 3,410 | 34 | 22,252 |
Ray's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Ray's full recorded timeline at 1953, 37% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 63% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1880, with just 142 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1957 peak of 3,410 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Ray popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1957)
- 3,410
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Ray popularity over time - girls
5,606 total births recorded since 1880 (Ray as girls' name)
Ray by decade
1920s is the heaviest window (32,045 births, 16% of the file).
1920s was Ray's strongest decade.
32,045 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 16% of all-time use.
Ray births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 2,371
1880s
2,371 births
- 1890s 3,763
1890s
3,763 births
- 1900s 4,256
1900s
4,256 births
- 1910s
1910s
17,792 births
- 1920s
1920s
32,045 births
- 1930s
1930s
30,211 births
- 1940s
1940s
29,656 births
- 1950s
1950s
29,912 births
- 1960s
1960s
22,183 births
- 1970s 10,077
1970s
10,077 births
- 1980s 7,835
1980s
7,835 births
- 1990s 5,401
1990s
5,401 births
- 2000s 3,894
2000s
3,894 births
- 2010s 3,367
2010s
3,367 births
- 2020s 1,938
2020s
1,938 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 32,045 births (16% of all-time use).
How Ray compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Ray's total volume
Ray by state
Where Ray concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 18,324 | 9.0% |
| #2 | California | | 15,958 | 7.8% |
| #3 | Pennsylvania | | 9,624 | 4.7% |
| #4 | Ohio | | 9,331 | 4.6% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 8,904 | 4.3% |
| #6 | North Carolina | | 8,263 | 4.0% |
| #7 | Tennessee | | 6,705 | 3.3% |
| #8 | Kentucky | | 6,538 | 3.2% |
18,324 of 204,701 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Ray appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Ray? ▼
Where does Ray sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Ray most popular? ▼
Where is Ray most popular? ▼
How long has the name Ray been used? ▼
What names are similar to Ray? ▼
What to do with Ray's data
- Ray's decade-level peak was the 1920s (32,045 total births); usage has since declined to 1,938 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Rays (18,324 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Ray
Nearby Names Like Ray
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Ray
Compare Ray side by side: Ray vs Raymond Ray vs Raymundo Ray vs Rayan
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Ray
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Ray: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1957)
Similar record span (~145 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Ray draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.