Total births
859
Boys' name · since 1906
Wray
859 babies named Wray in U.S. Social Security records since 1906, with the highest year being 1927. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- 859
- total births
- 1906–1989
- years on record
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 19%
- born in that decade
859 boys have been named Wray since 1906, though it isn't currently a top-ranked name.
Wray has 859 recorded births among boys since 1906, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used boys names, busiest in the 1920s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1906 to 1989.
- 859 total births
- 1906–1989 years on record
- 1920s peak decade
- 19% born in that decade
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
859 boys have been named Wray since 1906, peaking in the 1920s, last recorded in 1989.
- 859
- total births
- 1906–1989
- years on record
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 19%
- born in that decade
1920s
Peak decade
19% of everyone ever named Wray was born in this single decade.
1927
Single peak year
28 babies were named Wray in 1927 - its busiest year on record.
Wray's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Wray's SSA record in two at 1944 and the more recent half accounts for 45% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 55%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 1906, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1927 peak of 28, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Wray at a glance
Last recorded 1989Peak year
1927
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1906
Wray popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1906–1989
- Peak year (1927)
- 28
- Annual births at peak, across 84 years of records
Wray popularity over time - girls
23 total births recorded since 1942 (Wray as girls' name)
Wray by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Wray's strongest decade.
160 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 19% of all-time use.
Wray births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1900s 10
1900s
10 births
- 1910s
1910s
97 births
- 1920s
1920s
160 births
- 1930s
1930s
151 births
- 1940s
1940s
135 births
- 1950s
1950s
134 births
- 1960s
1960s
102 births
- 1970s 41
1970s
41 births
- 1980s 29
1980s
29 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 160 births (19% of all-time use).
How Wray 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 Wray's total volume
Wray vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Wray? ▼
Since 1906, Social Security records show 859 babies named Wray. The most recent recorded year was 1989. Its busiest year on record was 1927, with 28 births.
When was Wray most popular? ▼
Wray was most popular in the 1920s decade with 160 total births. The single peak year was 1927.
How long has the name Wray been used? ▼
Wray has been recorded in Social Security data since 1906, spanning 84 years of data through 1989.
What names are similar to Wray? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Wrangler, Wraith. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Wray's data
- Wray's decade-level peak was the 1920s (160 total births); usage has since declined to 29 in the 1980s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Wray
Nearby Names Like Wray
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Wray
Compare Wray side by side: Wray vs Wrangler Wray vs Wraith
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Data Sources
Data as of June 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, 1906–1989 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Wray: Baby Name Since 1906 - 859 Births, Peak 1927." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/wray. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
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 Wray 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 June 2026.