Raye Coat of Arms and Surname Origin

Spelled Raye, the surname still points back to Ray. Taken at its root, Raye points to “Roe deer, or king (nickname)”. Raye adds “e” to Ray, a small change that crept in as the name was written down. Before spelling was standardised, one family could appear under several forms.

1,625 Americans were listed as Raye in the 2010 census. That is enough to place it in the top 25,000 American surnames. French birth records list 1,037 children named Raye between 1891 and 2000. Births ran at 52 in 1891–1900 and 108 in 1991–2000.

Heraldry is personal: arms associated with the Ray surname were borne by specific families, and sharing the name does not mean sharing the blazon. For the full story, order the Raye surname pack.