Ray

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

English

Etymology 1

Proper noun

Ray

1. A surname​ from a Middle English nickname meaning a king or a roe.
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 0060130474, 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 006054581X, 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 978-0-340-98062-0, 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 (Ragā), a Median district. Compare Akkadian [script needed] (ra-ga-'), Elamite [script needed] (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 (Latin)
• Rhages, Rages (Ancient Greek)
• Raga (Old Persian)
• Rayy (Arabic)

Proper noun

Ray

1. A city near Tehran, Iran.

Synonyms

• Arsacia

Related terms

• Rhazes

Translations

city in Iran

• Arabic: الرَّيّ‏‎ (ar-rayy)
• Greek:

  Ancient: Ῥάγαι (Rhágai)

• Latin: Rhagae, Rhaganae

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

Anagrams

• -ary, Ary, Ayr, RYA, ayr, rya, yar