Boys' name · peaked in 1896
Ray name popularity since 1925
163,810 babies born in the US from 1925 to 2025 were named Ray (1.9% girls, 98.1% boys). Half of them were born in 1951 or earlier, so the typical Ray is about 75 years old in 2026. Ray peaked in 1896 as the #50 name for boys, and it ranked #792 in 2025.
Key facts
- US babies since 1925
- 163,810
- Named Ray, 1925–2025
- Peak year
- 1896
- #50 for boys that year
- In 2025
- #792
- for boys in 2025 (319 babies)
- Girls / boys
- 98.1% boys
- 3,033 girls · 160,777 boys
- Most popular in
- New Mexico
- 2.20× its national share
Peak year is the year Ray made up the largest share of US boys, in records going back to 1880. Typical age is based on births from 1925 on, not on who is living today.
Ray births per year, 1925–2025
The biggest year on this chart was 1957. Measured as a share of all babies, Ray peaked earlier, in 1896.
Decade by decade
Babies named Ray in each decade, and its rank among boys' names in the middle year of the decade (1935, 1945 … 2025).
| Decade | Girls | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1925–29 | 536 | 16,303 | – |
| 1930s | 669 | 30,211 | #64 |
| 1940s | 431 | 29,656 | #92 |
| 1950s | 433 | 29,912 | #113 |
| 1960s | 282 | 22,183 | #147 |
| 1970s | 200 | 10,077 | #228 |
| 1980s | 112 | 7,835 | #271 |
| 1990s | 64 | 5,401 | #456 |
| 2000s | 40 | 3,894 | #563 |
| 2010s | 115 | 3,367 | #713 |
| 2020–25 | 151 | 1,938 | #792 |
Ranks count every name given to at least 5 boys that year, so they can go past 1,000.
Generation fingerprint
34.6% of babies named Ray from 1925 to 2025 were born in the Baby Boom years (1946–1964). The full split by generation:
Where Ray is most popular
The index compares Ray's share of babies in each state with its share nationwide, 1925–2025 (1.50× = 50% more common). States with at least 300 babies named Ray.
| State | Index | Babies |
|---|---|---|
| New Mexico | 2.20× | 1,949 |
| Arkansas | 1.99× | 3,280 |
| West Virginia | 1.99× | 2,806 |
| Kentucky | 1.87× | 5,014 |
| Oklahoma | 1.82× | 3,809 |
Names with a similar story
Of the other 499 names on this site, these six had the share of babies closest in shape to Ray's from 1925 to 2025, however common each one got. Each line is scaled to its own high; the dashed line is Ray.
Names from the same era
Other common names that peaked within two years of Ray (1896).
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration national and state baby-name data, which covers names given to at least 5 babies of one sex in a year. About the data