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An excerpt from www.HouseOfNames.com archives copyright © 2000 - 2012

Origins Available: French, Scottish

Where did the French Ray family come from? What is the French Ray family crest and coat of arms? When did the Ray family first arrive in the United States? Where did the various branches of the family go? What is the Ray family history?

From the historical and enchanting region of France emerged a multitude of noble families, including the distinguished Ray family. Originally, the French people were known only by a single name. The process by which hereditary surnames were adopted in France is extremely interesting. Surnames evolved during the Middle Ages when people began to assume an extra name to avoid confusion and to further identify themselves. Often they adopted names that were derived from nicknames. Nickname surnames were derived from an eke-name, or added name. They usually reflected the physical characteristics or attributes of the first person that used the name. The name Ray is a nickname type of surname for a person of regal bearing or a person who played a king in a local festival. Looking back further, we find the name Ray was derived from the Old French word "roy," meaning "king."

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Spelling variations of this family name include: Ray, Rays, Raie, Raies, Raye, Rayes, Rée, Rées, Rait, Rey, Reys, Rei, Reis, Duray, Leray, De Laray, Laray, du Ray, de Ray, Delurey and many more.

First found in Bourgogne, where the family has held a family seat since ancient times.


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This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ray research. Another 221 words(16 lines of text) covering the years 1098, 1306, 1330, 1470, 1533, 1570, 1583, 1645, 1726, and 1803 are included under the topic Early Ray History in all our PDF Extended History products.

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Another 49 words(4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Ray Notables in all our PDF Extended History products.

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Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Ray Settlers in the United States in the 17th Century


  • Simon Ray settled in Massachusetts in 1620
  • Simon Ray, who settled in Massachusetts in 1620
  • Abram Ray, who settled in Barbados in 1635
  • Samuel Ray, who arrived in Salem, Mass in 1637
  • Benj Ray, who arrived in Virginia in 1638


Ray Settlers in the United States in the 18th Century


  • Sarah Ray, who landed in Virginia in 1702
  • Isaac Ray, who landed in New England in 1720
  • Daniel Ray, who came to Virginia in 1731
  • Joseph Ray, who arrived in Virginia in 1740
  • Michel Ray, who settled in Boston in 1764

Ray Settlers in the United States in the 19th Century


  • Mary Ray, aged 24, landed in Philadelphia, Pa in 1805
  • Thomas W Ray, who arrived in New York, NY in 1811
  • Hugh Ray, who arrived in New York, NY in 1811
  • Daniel Ray, aged 50, arrived in North Carolina in 1812
  • Duncan Ray, aged 47, arrived in North Carolina in 1813


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  • Ted Ray, American Entertainer
  • Man Emmanuel Rabinovich Ray (1890-1976), American painter
  • Marguerite "Dixy Lee" Ray (1914-1994), American politician, the 17th Governor of the U.S. State of Washington
  • Gene Anthony Ray (1962-2003), American actor, dancer, and choreographer, best known for his work on the Fame movie and television series
  • Wolfe Ray, British Columbia Lawyer
  • John Ray (1627-1705), English naturalist
  • First Lieutenant Bernard J Ray, awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor in 1944
  • Edward R. G. "Ted" Ray (1877-1943), British professional golfer
  • David Robert "Bobby" Ray (1945-1969), United States Navy sailor, recipient of the Medal of Honor
  • Gabrielle Ray (1883-1973), English stage actress


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  • Bound For the Promised Land: History of the Ray and Armstrong Families by Joan Cervenka Cob.
  • The Wests and the Rays and Allied Lines: Southern Families from the Colonies to Texas by Nan Overton West.
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The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Gracieuseté de Ray
Motto Translation: The graciousness of Ray

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  1. Filby, P. William and Mary K Meyer. Passenger and Immigration Lists Index in Four Volumes. Detroit: Gale Research, 1985. Print. (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8).
  2. Egle, William Henry. Pennsylvania Genealogies Scotch-Irish and German. Harrisburg: L.S. Hart, 1886. Print.
  3. Conrad, Glenn R. The First Families of Louisiana. Baton Rouge LA: Claitor's Publishing, 1970. Print.
  4. Matthews, John. Matthews' American Armoury and Blue Book. London: John Matthews, 1911. Print.
  5. Crozier, William Armstrong Edition. Crozier's General Armory A Registry of American Families Entitled to Coat Armor. New York: Fox, Duffield, 1904. Print.
  6. Bolton, Charles Knowles. Bolton's American Armory. Baltimore: Heraldic Book Company, 1964. Print.
  7. Samuelsen, W. David. New York City Passenger List Manifests Index 1820 - 1824. North Salt Lake, Utah: Accelerated Indexing Systems International, 1986. Print.
  8. D'Hozier Charles. Armorial Général de France. Paris: Dillon, 1875. Print.
  9. Guérard, Albert Léon. France: a Modern History. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 1959. Print.
  10. Robb H. Amanda and Andrew Chesler. Encyclopedia of American Family Names. New York: Haper Collins, 1995. Print. (ISBN 0-06-270075-8).
  11. ...

The Ray Family Crest was acquired from the Houseofnames.com archives. The Ray Family Crest was drawn according to heraldic standards based on published blazons. We generally include the oldest published family crest once associated with each surname.

This page was last modified on 3 December 2011 at 13:55.

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