Ray Family History

English: from the Middle English personal name Ray or Rey perhaps a pet form of names beginning in Ray or Rey especially Raymond. English: nickname from Old French rei ‘king’ denoting someone who behaved in a regal fashion one with the bearing of a king or referring to the mock king or lord in festive games and pageants e.g. at Christmas May Day or harvest. Compare Roy and King.

English: nickname from Middle English ræghe (Old English rǣge) ‘female roe deer’ or in northern England more likely northern Middle English rā raa rae ray (Old English rā) ‘roe deer’ perhaps for a timid person or swift runner. Compare Roe.

English: variant of Rye (1 and ). English: post-medieval form of Wray or vice versa. Scottish: shortened and altered form of McRae.

French: topographic name for someone who lived by a spring or rushing stream Old French rai (a noun derivative of Old French raier ‘to gush stream or pour’) or a habitational name from a place called Ray. Compare Leray.

Americanized form of Polish and Slovenian Raj. Indian: variant of Rai.