Unisex name · since 1889
Raye
Since 1889, U.S. Social Security records show 2,297 babies named Raye, peaking in 1956. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #4,291 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- #6,559 of 17,297
- 2025 SSA year
- 2,297
- born since 1889
- 1950s
- peak decade
Raye currently ranks #6559 among unisex names in America, with 2,297 babies recorded since 1889.
Social Security Administration records show Raye recorded 2,297 times among girls since 1889, holding rank #6559 nationally today, ahead of 62% of girls, peaking in the 1950s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1889 to 2025.
- #4,291 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- #6,559 of 17,297 2025 SSA year
- 2,297 born since 1889
- 1950s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Raye ranks #4,291 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #6,559 of 17,297 among girls' names in 2025. 2,297 born since 1889, peaking in the 1950s.
- #4,291 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- #6,559 of 17,297
- 2025 SSA year
- 2,297
- born since 1889
- 1950s
- peak decade
Raye's 2,297 recorded births place it above 94.06% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
11 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by Texas.
How Raye compares
2,297 Top 21% higher than 79% of 17,297 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls 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
Raye's all-time total is 6x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Raye | Median girls name (Kyann) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 2,297 | 376 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 67 | 21 | 19,840 |
Raye's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Raye splits its recorded history at 1960: 38% of all births land in the more recent half, 62% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 1898 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1956 peak of 67 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Raye popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1889–2025
- Peak year (1956)
- 67
- Annual births at peak, across 137 years of records
Raye popularity over time - boys
306 total births recorded since 1914 (Raye as boys' name)
Raye by decade
1950s is the heaviest window (456 births, 20% of the file).
1950s was Raye's strongest decade.
456 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 20% of all-time use.
Raye births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 6
1880s
6 births
- 1890s 11
1890s
11 births
- 1900s 38
1900s
38 births
- 1910s 177
1910s
177 births
- 1920s
1920s
204 births
- 1930s
1930s
197 births
- 1940s
1940s
341 births
- 1950s
1950s
456 births
- 1960s
1960s
323 births
- 1970s 154
1970s
154 births
- 1980s 82
1980s
82 births
- 1990s 83
1990s
83 births
- 2000s 44
2000s
44 births
- 2010s 87
2010s
87 births
- 2020s 94
2020s
94 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 456 births (20% of all-time use).
How Raye compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Raye's total volume
Raye by state
Where Raye concentrates geographically, total births since 1889
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 108 | 4.7% |
| #2 | California | | 29 | 1.3% |
| #3 | Ohio | | 21 | 0.9% |
| #4 | New York | | 15 | 0.7% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 10 | 0.4% |
| #6 | Michigan | | 7 | 0.3% |
| #7 | Oklahoma | | 6 | 0.3% |
| #8 | Kansas | | 5 | 0.2% |
108 of 2,297 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 11 reporting states.
Raye appears in 11 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Raye? ▼
Where does Raye sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Raye most popular? ▼
Where is Raye most popular? ▼
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What to do with Raye's data
- Raye's decade-level peak was the 1950s (456 total births); usage has since declined to 94 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Rayes (108 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 Raye
Nearby Names Like Raye
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Raye
Compare Raye side by side: Raye vs Rayna Raye vs Rayne Raye vs Raya
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Raye
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Raye: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1956)
Similar record span (~136 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, 1889–2025 (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 Raye 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.