Ray.
A surname transferred from the nickname.
Meaning & usage
A surname transferred from the nickname.
A diminutive of the male given names Raymond, Rayane, and Rayan, also used as a formal given name.
A diminutive of the female given name Rachel, more often spelled Rae.
A number of places in the United States: A census-designated place in Coosa County, Alabama.
A number of places in the United States: A ghost town in Pinal County, Arizona.
A number of places in the United States: An unincorporated community in Fremont Township, Steuben County, Indiana and Branch County, Michigan.
A number of places in the United States: A township in Macomb County, Michigan.
A number of places in the United States: An unincorporated community in Koochiching County, Minnesota.
A number of places in the United States: A minor city in Williams County, North Dakota.
A river in Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire, England, which joins the River Cherwell.
A river in north Wiltshire, England, which joins the Thames.
Where this word comes from
* As an English surname, from pet forms derived from the root of Raymond. * Also as an English surname, from Old French rei (“king”). Compare Roy, King. * Also as an English surname, from Old English rā (“roe deer”). Compare Roe. * Also as an English surname, variant of Wray and Rye. * As a Scottish Gaelic surname, shortened from McRae. * As a French surname, from the verb raier (“to gush out, flow, radiate”). Compare Leray. * As a Polish and Slovene surname, Americanized from Raj, from raj (“paradise”). * As an Indian surname, variant of Rai.
A city near Tehran, Iran.
A region and satrapy in ancient Iran located between the Alborz and Zagros mountain ranges and the Dasht-e Kavir desert; Rhagiana.
Where this word comes from
From Persian ری (ray /rey), from Middle Persian, from Old Persian 𐎼𐎥𐎠 (r-g-a /ragā/), a Median district. Compare Akkadian 𒊏𒂵𒀪 (ra-ga-'), Elamite 𒊩𒋡𒀭 (rák-ka₄-an) (loc.), Ancient Greek Ῥάγαι (Rhágai), Latin Rhagae, Rhaganae, Iranian borrowings.
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Definitions, grammatical labels, IPA, etymology and examples: Wiktionary contributors, extracted by Kaikki / Wiktextract. Adapted under CC BY-SA 4.0. Selected fields and authored examples are shown; third-party quotations and audio are omitted. See contributor history.
Last enriched 2026-09-10. Definitions are in English. Romanizations are shown when supplied by the source; syllable estimates are omitted for unsupported scripts.