Raye
The Story of Raye
As a girl name
Raye first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1889, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1956, when 67 Rayes were born — ranking #1,272 that year. As of 2026, Raye ranks #7,871 for girls with 13 births, holding steady (-3%). In total, more than 2K Rayes have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Raye first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1914, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1948, when 15 Rayes were born — ranking #1,943 that year. As of 2026, Raye ranks #5,620 for boys with 6 births, with steady use. In total, more than 306 Rayes have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Raye
Phonetically similar names — useful when Raye is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Raye
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About the name Raye
Raye is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1889 and has accumulated 2K births in the dataset. Raye's peak popularity came in 1956 when it ranked #1,143. Use the chart and map above to compare Raye's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1956 →
- Names of the 1950s →
- Names starting with "R" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
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.