Ray

See also: ray, rày, rầy, ra'y, and -raþ

English

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -eɪ

Etymology 1

• As an English surname, from pet forms derived from the root of Raymond.
• Also as an English surname, from Old French rei (“king”). Compare Roy, King.
• Also as an English surname, from Old English rā (“roe deer”). Compare Roe.
• Also as an English surname, variant of Wray and Rye.
• As a Scottish Gaelic surname, shortened from McRae.
• As a French surname, from the verb raier (“to gush out, flow, radiate”). Compare Leray.
• As a Polish and Slovene surname, Americanized from Raj, from raj (“paradise”).
• As an Indian surname, variant of Rai.

Proper noun

Ray

1. A surname transferred from the nickname.
2. A diminutive of the male given name Raymond, also used as a formal given name.
   • 1980, Wright Morris, Plains Song, for Female Voices, Harper&Row, →ISBN, page 113:

     -, or Raymond if it happened to be a boy, choosing it in the hope that a name like Ray would make a boy's life easier.

   • 2005, Sam Weller, The Bradbury Chronicles: The Life of Ray Bradbury, William Morrow, →ISBN, page 12:

     Although the name on his birth certificate was spelled "Ray", Ray said he was originally given the name "Rae" after Rae Williams, a cousin on his father's side.

3. A diminutive of the female given name Rachel, more often spelled Rae.
   • 2010, Sophie Hannah, A Room Swept White, Hodder & Stoughton, →ISBN, page 271:

     'Rachel told me―' 'Call her Ray. She hates Rachel.'

4. A number of places in the United States:
   1. A census-designated place in Coosa County, Alabama.
   2. A ghost town in Pinal County, Arizona.
   3. An unincorporated community in Fremont Township, Steuben County, Indiana and Branch County, Michigan.
   4. A township in Macomb County, Michigan.
   5. An unincorporated community in Koochiching County, Minnesota.
   6. A minor city in Williams County, North Dakota.
5. A river in Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire, England, which joins the River Cherwell.
6. A river in north Wiltshire, England, which joins the Thames.

Derived terms

• Cape Ray
• Ray County

Etymology 2

From Persian ری (rey), from Middle Persian, from Old Persian 𐎼𐎥𐎠 (r-g-a /⁠Ragā⁠/), a Median district. Compare Akkadian 𒊏𒂵𒀪 (ra-ga-'), Elamite 𒊩𒋡𒀭 (rák-ka₄-an) (loc.), Ancient Greek Ῥάγαι (Rhágai), Latin Rhagae, Rhaganae, Iranian borrowings.

Alternative forms

• Rey
• Rai
• Rhay, Rhey (dated)
• Shahr-e-Rey, Shahr-e-Ray, Shahr Rey, Shahr Ray, Chahr-e Ray (Iranian Persian)
• Rhagae, Rhaganae (Latin)
• Rhages, Rages (Ancient Greek)
• Raga (Old Persian)
• Rayy, al-Rayy (Arabic)

Proper noun

Ray

1. A city near Tehran, Iran.
2. (historical) a region and satrapy in ancient Iran located between the Alborz and Zagros mountain ranges and the Dasht-e Kavir desert; Rhagiana

Synonyms

• Arsacia

Related terms

• Rhazes
• Rhagiana

Translations

city in Iran

• Arabic: الرَّيّ (ar-rayy)
• Azerbaijani: Rey
• Chagatai: ری
• Greek:

  Ancient: Ῥάγαι (Rhágai)

• Latin: Rhagae, Rhaganae, Rages f
• Old Persian: 𐎼𐎥𐎠 (r-g-a /⁠Ragā⁠/)
• Ottoman Turkish: ری (Rey)
• Persian: شهر ری (šahr-e rey), ری (fa) (rey)
• Tajik: Рай (Ray)
• Turkish: Rey (tr)
• Uzbek: Ray

Anagrams

• -ary, Ary, Ayr, RYA, ary, ayr, rya, yar

Cebuano

Proper noun

Ray

1. a male given name from English

Uzbek

Other scripts
Cyrillic	Рай (Ray)‍
Latin	‍
Perso-Arabic

Etymology

Inherited from Chagatai ری, from Classical Persian ری (ray).

Proper noun

Ray

1. Ray (a city in Iran)