Boy · #5,772 in 2026

Elray

Name: Popularity of the name Elray in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Elray, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

Current Rank

#5,772

Peak Rank

#1,802 (1940)

Total Babies

327

5-Yr Trend

Stable

1917

First Year

1978

Last Year

1940

Peak Year

#1802

Peak Rank

327

Total Count

Years Active

The Story of Elray

The earliest SSA record of Elray as a baby boy name dates back to 1917, when 9 babies received it. 1940 was its biggest year on record, with 15 newborns named Elray — #1,802 in the national rankings. About 26% of every Elray on record arrived during the 1940s, its defining decade. Elray last appeared in the published SSA data in 1978, with 5 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 327 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1910s to the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Names that sound like Elray

Phonetically similar names — useful when Elray is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Ellery
Ellora
Elroy
Eller
Elway
Delray
Ulery
Ehlers
Ellar
Ellers
Alroy
Elr

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Elray

What does the name Elray mean?

Elray is a boy's name that has been used in U.S. records since 1917. Behind the Name doesn't list a specific etymology, but the name has remained in use across multiple decades.

How popular is Elray in 2026?

In 2026, Elray ranks #5,772 among boys' names in the U.S., with 5 babies given the name that year.

When was Elray most popular?

Elray reached its peak popularity in 1940, ranking #1,802 that year with 15 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Elray most popular?

Elray has historically been most popular in Louisiana, Texas. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Elray.

Is Elray a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Elray is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.

What names go well with Elray?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Elray include Dahl, Lawayne, Zaviyar. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Elray

Elray is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1917 and has accumulated 327 births in the dataset. Elray's peak popularity came in 1940 when it ranked #1,802. Use the chart and map above to compare Elray's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.