| ![Show Contents]() Raye History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 France From the historical and enchanting region of France emerged a multitude of noble families, including the distinguished Raye 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 Raye 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 Raye was derived from the Old French word "roy," meaning "king." Early Origins of the Raye familyThe surname Raye was first found in Burgundy (French: Bourgogne), an administrative and historical region of east-central France, where the family has held a family seat since ancient times. Early History of the Raye familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Raye research. Another 148 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1098, 1306, 1330, 1470, 1533, 1570, 1583, 1645, 1726 and 1803 are included under the topic Early Raye History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Raye Spelling VariationsSpelling 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. Early Notables of the Raye familyAnother 49 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Raye Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
 Raye migration to the United States | + |
Some of the first settlers of this family name were: Raye Settlers in United States in the 17th Century- Henry Raye, who landed in Virginia in 1643 1
- Jane Raye, who arrived in Virginia in 1657 1
- Mathew Raye, who arrived in Virginia in 1664 1
- Susanna Raye, who landed in Virginia in 1677 1
- John Raye, who landed in Virginia in 1699 1
| Contemporary Notables of the name Raye (post 1700) | + |
- Martha Raye (born Margaret Teresa Yvonne Reed) (1916-1994), American comic actress, standards singer and recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom
- Kevin L. Raye, Republican member of the Maine Senate
- Kimberly Raye, American author who writes mostly Romance and Paranormal fiction
- James Arthur Raye Jr. (b. 1946), former American football player and coach
- Jimmy Raye, American football coach
- Susan Raye (b. 1944), American country music singer
- Collin Raye (b. 1959), American country music singer
- Don Raye (1909-1985), American vaudevillian and songwriter
- Carol Raye (b. 1923), Australian-based theatre and television actress and comedienne
- Carol Raye AM (1923-2022), born Kathleen Mary Corkery, British-born Australian actress of film, television, radio and theatre, comedian, singer, dancer, and radio and television producer and director
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
- Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
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Raye migration to the United States 
