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Archiveswhat is the origin/meaning of the surname RAY?
I have been unable to find much about this name. I have searched not only my spelling but several other common spellings (Rey, Rae, Rhea).
Ray seems to be fairly common here in Texas but nobody has been able to tell me much about it other than it might be German or Alsatian.
Can anybody help?
Thanks
Ray seems to be fairly common here in Texas but nobody has been able to tell me much about it other than it might be German or Alsatian.
Can anybody help?
Thanks
1
Replies
The given name RAY is considered a short form of Raymond.
Andy ;—)
Andy ;—)
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Ray is short for Raymond only as a first name. The surname Ray is of British/French origin and is a form of the Old high French word "rei", meaning "a king"
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The french variant of RAY means "spring". Rey in Spain and Southern Frnce means "king". The surname Rey exists in Italy too, but it is very local.
Ray is spread also in Mexico: probably some American Ray are of Mexican origin. But the most part of Ray are surely of british origin. At the moment I can't tell you anything about the origin of this surname. There are also German Ray but I do not think that this surname is common in Germany.
Ray is spread also in Mexico: probably some American Ray are of Mexican origin. But the most part of Ray are surely of british origin. At the moment I can't tell you anything about the origin of this surname. There are also German Ray but I do not think that this surname is common in Germany.
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It could be from a number of things ...anything from English, French, Irish, Scottish, etc. ...Ultimately it has it's roots in "Rex, Reg or Roy" in Latin meaning "king" ...
Just a guess, but I'd say gathering where your from and the history associated with it that the name likely came from the Norman-French to England and then over to the States during the colonization period.
Just a guess, but I'd say gathering where your from and the history associated with it that the name likely came from the Norman-French to England and then over to the States during the colonization period.
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In England Ray is sometimes grouped with several other surnames - Wray, Wreay, Wragg, Rea - given a common origin, the Danish (or Norse?) VRA. This means a nook, a corner, a secluded spot, and can be found in Northern English place-names, e.g., Wreay in Cumbria. It's possible that the names without initial W could have other origins, as already suggested.
The hint of a German origin could scotch all these suggestions, and lead us off in another direction.
The hint of a German origin could scotch all these suggestions, and lead us off in another direction.
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