How Many People Are Named Raye?
An estimated 1,440 people in the United States have the first name Raye. It is used for both genders, with 88.2% female. The average bearer is 57 years old, and Raye peaked in popularity in 1956 with 74 births that year.
Below you will find a full statistical profile of Raye as a first name in the United States, including gender data, a year-by-year popularity timeline going back to 1880, a decade breakdown, state-by-state birth registrations, and, when available, a 2020 Census snapshot showing who had the name at that point in time. You can also check how many people share the full name Raye paired with any surname.
Estimated Living Americans
1,440
About 1 in 238,024 people in the U.S.
Rarity
Rare
Predicted Gender
Female
88.2% confidence
Average Age
57
years old
Peak Year
1956
74 births
Total Registered
2,585
since 1880
Gender Distribution for Raye
Raye is predominantly female (88.2%), though 306 male births have been registered. It functions as a unisex name for a small percentage of bearers.
Raye as a male name
Ranked #6,225 in 1982
6 male births in 1982
Peak: 1948 (15 births)
Raye as a female name
Ranked #7,851 in 2024
14 female births in 2024
Peak: 1956 (67 births)
Raye in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 1,642 people with the first name Raye, which placed it at #8,745 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The estimated living count elsewhere on this page is different: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two figures are not expected to match exactly.
Read this section as a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The SSA charts elsewhere on this page are still the better way to see how the name rose, fell, or shifted across generations.
Gender in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, Raye was recorded as predominantly female. Out of 1,642 people with this name in that snapshot, 13.9% were male and 86.1% were female. That is very close to the long-run birth pattern in SSA records, where the name is female 88.2% of the time.
Census Count
1,642
people with this name
Census Rank
#8,745
among Census first names
Frequency Rate
0.54
per 100,000 people
Recorded Race and Hispanic Origin in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, the first name Raye was most commonly recorded among people who identified as White (73.24%). The next largest recorded groups were Black (14.93%) and Hispanic (4.19%).
These percentages describe the people who had the first name Raye in the 2020 Census. They do not tell you the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.
2020 Census demographic breakdown
Each row shows a recorded Census category for people with the first name Raye.
| Group | Share | Count |
|---|---|---|
| White | 73.24% | 1,207 |
| Black | 14.93% | 246 |
| Hispanic | 4.19% | 69 |
| Two or More Races | 3.88% | 64 |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 2.61% | 43 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 1.15% | 19 |
The Census published separate sex and race/origin tables for first names, so their total counts can differ slightly for the same name. That is why the race section focuses on the demographic mix rather than repeating a second headline count.
Raye: Popularity Over Time
SSA records for Raye span from the 1880s to the 2020s, covering 15 decades of naming data. The most popular decade for this name was the 1950s, when 524 babies were registered. Raye has declined significantly from its peak in the 1950s. Recent registrations are a fraction of what they were at the name's height.
Raye by Decade
How has Raye tracked across different eras? The table below groups all SSA birth registrations into 10-year periods, with separate male and female counts. The colored bar shows each decade's share relative to the peak.
Raye by State
Birth registrations for Raye span all 11 states and territories in the SSA database. The highest counts are in Texas, California, Ohio. The lowest are in Virginia, Pennsylvania, Louisiana. On average, about 20 Rayes were registered per state.
Raye + Last Name Combinations
How many people share a full name with Raye as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Names Similar to Raye
Other first names starting with R with a similar number of bearers.
Raye: Questions and Answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Raye?
We estimate approximately 1,440 people named Raye are alive in the United States today. This is based on SSA birth records from 1880 to 2024, adjusted for mortality using CDC life tables. About 1 in 238,024 Americans share this first name.
Is Raye a common name?
Raye is classified as "Rare" and is more popular than 92.2% of all first names in the SSA database. A total of 2,585 births have been registered with this name since 1880.
When was Raye most popular?
Raye reached peak popularity in 1956, when 74 babies were given this name. The average age of a living person named Raye is approximately 57 years old, reflecting when the name was most commonly given.
How common was Raye in the 2020 Census?
The 2020 Census recorded 1,642 people with the first name Raye. That placed it at #8,745 in the published Census first-name tables, or 0.54 people per 100,000.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census number is a count of people with the name in 2020. The living estimate is a current model based on SSA birth records and survival rates, so it aims to estimate how many people with the name are alive now.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The popularity chart tracks birth registrations, not people currently alive. It shows how often Raye was given to babies from 1880 through 2024, which is why it is the best tool on the page for seeing long-run naming trends.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Raye?
In the 2020 Census snapshot, Raye was recorded as predominantly female. The published split was 13.9% male and 86.1% female.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Raye?
In the 2020 Census, the first name Raye was most commonly recorded among people who identified as White (73.24%). The next largest recorded groups were Black (14.93%) and Hispanic (4.19%). These percentages describe the people who had the name in the 2020 Census, not the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census published separate first-name tables for sex and for race and Hispanic origin. Those totals can differ slightly for the same name, so the page uses them as two related snapshots rather than treating them as perfectly interchangeable counts.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name tables only include names that met the Bureau's publication rules. That means some names on this site will have SSA history but no published Census demographic snapshot.
Is Raye a female name?
Raye is predominantly female. 88.2% of people with this name are female. See the gender breakdown above for full details.
Why can Raye have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because a name can build up a large population over many decades. Raye peaked in 1956, and the average living bearer is about 57 years old, so a name can still have millions of living bearers even after it stops feeling current for newborns.
How many Raye Smiths are there?
To find how many people share a specific full name, we combine first name and surname frequencies. Try: Raye Smith, Raye Johnson, Raye Williams. You can also search any combination on our homepage.
Where does this data come from?
Our estimates use Social Security Administration birth records (1880 to 2024), adjusted for survival using CDC 2023 life tables broken down by sex. The U.S. population figure (342,754,338) is from the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimate. Full methodology.
Search for a full name combination
How Many of Me