Ray
Meaning of Ray
Ray, a brisk syllable whose very sound seems to cut the air like a radius of morning light, descends from the medieval French contraction of the Old Germanic Ragin-mund—“counsel” and “protector”—yet it simultaneously nods to the Latin radius, that slender shaft by which scholars once traced circles and poets still measure hope. Thus the name balances gravitas with luminosity: the strategist’s mind wrapped in the dawn’s first gleam. Cultural memory is quick to furnish exemplars—Ray Charles at the piano, Ray Bradbury beside the Martian canals—proving that brevity need not inhibit brilliance. In American nurseries the name has flickered rather than blazed, cresting in the 1940s before settling, like an ember that refuses extinction, into the middle of the popularity charts; parents evidently appreciate a classic that neither shouts nor sulks. One might say, with only mild exaggeration, that bestowing Ray is to confer both a shield and a sunrise—utile et dulce in a single syllable.
Pronunciation
English
- Pronunced as RAY (/reɪ/)
U.S. Popularity Chart
States Popularity Chart
Notable People Named Ray
| Ray Bradbury was a celebrated American author and screenwriter known for his diverse works in genres like science fiction, fantasy, and horror. |
| Ray Charles, a blind American singer and pianist, became a legendary musician known as "The Genius" for his profound impact on music. |
| Ray Kurzweil - Raymond Kurzweil is a futurist and inventor known for advocating transhumanism and technological advancements through his writings and public talks. |
| Ray Harryhausen - Raymond Harryhausen was a pioneering animator and special effects creator who developed the iconic Dynamation stop motion technique. |
| Ray Liotta - Raymond Liotta was an American actor best known for his roles in "Goodfellas," "Field of Dreams," and "Grand Theft Auto: Vice City." |
| Ray Eames - Ray-Bernice Alexandra Kaiser Eames was a versatile American artist and designer. |
| Ray Charles was a musician and conductor who led the Ray Charles Singers in a 35-year collaboration with Perry Como and produced 30 choral albums. |
| Ray William Johnson - Raymond William Johnson is an American internet celebrity renowned for his YouTube channel Equals Three, which attracted millions of subscribers and once held the title of YouTube's most-subscribed channel. |
| Ray Parker Jr. - Ray Erskine Parker Jr. is an American musician famous for the Ghostbusters theme song and his hit "The Other Woman." |
| Ray Mancini - Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini is a former WBA lightweight boxing champion who now works as an actor and commentator and was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. |
| Ray Brown - Raymond Matthews Brown was an American jazz double bassist celebrated for his collaborations with Oscar Peterson and Ella Fitzgerald and for co-founding the Modern Jazz Quartet. |
| Ray Jónsson - Ray Anthony Pepito Jónsson is a Filipino-Icelandic former footballer who now coaches Reynir Sandgerði and previously played for Keflavík and the Philippines national team. |
| Ray Teret - Raymond Teret was an English radio disc jockey convicted of sex offenses. |
| Ray Price was an American country music legend celebrated for his exceptional baritone voice and the innovative "Ray Price beat" that revolutionized the genre. |
