Ray

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

English

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -eɪ

Etymology 1

Various origins. The surname is from a Middle English nickname meaning a king or a roe. As a given name, a diminutive of the names Raymond and Rachel.

Proper noun

Ray

1. A surname, from nicknames.
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.'

Derived terms

• 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)
• Greek:

  Ancient: Ῥάγαι (Rhágai)

• Latin: Rhagae, Rhaganae

• Old Persian: 𐎼𐎥𐎠 (r-g-a /Ragā/)
• Persian: شهر ری‎ (šahr-e rey), ری‎ (fa) (rey)
• Turkish: Şehr-i Rey, Rey

Anagrams

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

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Cebuano

Proper noun

Ray

1. a male given name from English