The surname Ray has several origins.
In some cases it originates from a nickname, derived from the Old French rei, roy , meaning "king", [1] which was sometimes also used as a personal name. [2] This nickname may have denoted a person's pride or swagger, [3] someone's appearance, [4] or regal behavior or bearing, [5] or may have referred to achievement in a contest, [5] royal service, [4] or may have denoted someone who presided over certain festive celebrations. [6] Early examples of forms of this surname include: William Lerei, in 1195 (Norfolk); Robert Raie, in 1206 (Cambridgeshire); and Thomas filius Rey, in 1296 (Cambridgeshire). [7]
In other cases, the surname originates from a nickname derived from the northern Middle English rā, [7] rae, [7] ray [5] (Old English rā, [8] Old Norse rā), [9] meaning "roe deer", [10] or the Middle English ray [11] (Old English rœge), [12] meaning "female roe deer". [11] This nickname may have denoted a timid person or a swift runner. [13]
In other cases, the surname is derived from the Scottish Gaelic Mac Raith, [7] a surname derived from the Gaelic personal name Macraith, "son of grace". [14] Early examples of forms of this surname include: Alexander Macrad, in about 1225 (Dumbartonshire); Patric McRe, in 1376 (Dumfriesshire); and Adam McCreich, in 1438. [15]
In other cases, the surname is a variant of Rye . [16] In such cases, the surname may originate from two locative names: one is derived from a form of the Middle English atter ye, "meaning at the island" (Old English œt thœre ige), for someone who lived on an island or a patch of firm ground; the other is derived from a form of the Middle English atter eye, meaning "at the river" (Old English œt thœre eœ) for someone who lived near a river or stream. [17] Early examples of forms of the surname Rye include: William de Rye, in 1240 (Essex); Ralph de Rye, in 1248 (Essex); and Ralph de la Reye, in 1279 (Oxfordshire). [18]
In other cases, the surname may be a variant of the surname Wray , [19] a variant of Wroe , [20] derived from the Middle English wroe (Old Scandinavian vrá), meaning "nook, corner of land". [21] Early examples of forms of the surname Wray include: Willelmus del Wra, in 1379 (Lancashire); Ricardus del Wra, in 1377 (West Yorkshire); and Willelmus in the Wraa, in 1379 (West Yorkshire). [22]
In other cases, the surname is of Ashkenazic Jewish origin. [23] In other cases, the surname may have originated as locative name, derived from the Old French raier, meaning "to gush, stream, or pour". [24] In other cases, the surname is a variant of Indian surname Rai . [24] In some case, the surname Rai is derived from the Sanskrit raja, meaning "king". In other cases, specifically in Karnataka, the origin of the surname is unknown. [25]
Adcock is an English surname. Notable people with the surname include:
The surname Galbraith is derived from the Gaelic elements gall, meaning "stranger", and Breathnach, meaning "Briton". As such, the surname can be taken to mean "British foreigner", "British Scandinavian", "foreign Briton", or "stranger-Briton". The surname Galbraith can be rendered in Scottish Gaelic as Mac a' Bhreatannaich.
Ackroyd is an English surname. Notable people with the surname include:
Armistead is both a surname and a masculine given name. Notable people with the name include:
Barry is both a given name and an Irish and West African surname. The given name can be an Anglicised form of some Irish personal names or shortened form of Barrington or Finbarr, while the surname has numerous etymological origins, and is derived from both place names and personal names.
The surname Scales has more than one possible origin.
Crawford is a surname and a given name of English and Scottish origins.
Abbot is an English surname derived from the word "abbot". It is a spelling variant of the more common name Abbott. Notable people with this surname include:
Abbey is an English surname, denoting someone living near an abbey or having an occupation working in one. Surname variants of Abbey include Abbay (below), Abbe, Abby, Abdey and Abdie.
Abba is a surname of various origins. Most commonly, it is an Italian surname. It also existed in Semitic languages, relating to Abraham or with its literal meaning of "father", and in English, as an occupational surname taken by people employed in abbeys.
The Gaelic surname Mac Somhairle means "son of Somhairle". The personal name Somhairle is a Gaelicised form of the Old Norse Sumarliðr and Sumarliði. The Old Norse Sumarliðr is composed of the elements sumar ("summer") and liðr ("seafarer"). As such, Sumarliðr and Sumarliði can be taken to mean "summer warrior", "summer seafarer". Anglicised forms of Mac Somhairle include: MacSorley, McSorley, Sorley, and Sorlie. Many settled in Ulster, hired as Gallowglass for Gaelic Kingdoms.
The surname Nevin has several origins.
The Gaelic surname Mac Suibhne is a patronymic form of Suibhne and means "son of Suibhne". The personal name Suibhne means "pleasant".
Pollock is a surname. In some cases, it originates as a locative name derived from Upper Pollock, Renfrewshire, Scotland. An early bearer of a form of this surname is Peter de Pollok, in about 1172–1178. In other cases, the surname is derived from the Middle English personal name *Pollok. An early bearer of a form of this surname is Roger Pollok, in 1332.
Chew is a Chinese, English or Korean surname.
Allwright is an English language surname. Notable people with the surname include:
The Gaelic surname Mac Ruaidhrí means "son of Ruaidhrí". The personal name Ruaidhrí is composed of two elements: the first is ruadh, meaning "red"; the second is rí, meaning "king".
Gaw is a surname with at least four different origins. First, it may be derived from the Gaelic word gall meaning "foreigner" or "stranger". The surnames Gall and Gaul are derived from the same word. In Brittany it became a surname for immigrants from France, in Lincolnshire for Bretons, in Perthshire and Aberdeen for Lowlanders. Second, it may have originated by shortening the name McGaw, which is an Anglicised form of Mag Ádaimh meaning "son of Adam". Third, it may be an old spelling of the German surname Gau, which originated as a toponymic surname; see Gau (territory). Finally, it may be an Anglicisation of the Southern Min pronunciation of the Chinese surname pronounced Wú in Mandarin; this spelling came into use in Hong Kong by a family of Chinese immigrants from Myanmar.
Bailhache, from Norman French baille hache meaning to "give axe", perhaps used as an occupational surname for an executioner or a woodman, is a surname known from Jersey, England, and elsewhere. Notable people with this surname include:
Altham is a surname of English origin, based on the placename Altham, Lancashire. The surname emerged at a time when Altham was in the ancient parish of Whalley; Altham is now in the Burrough of Hyndburn. The first form of the surname was likely Elvetham, which was first recorded around 1150 and which persisted into the 12th and 13th centuries. The original form of the surname was based on the Old English name for the placename origin, "river meadow of the swans" hamm elfitu. Evolution of the surname included variants de Eluetham in the 13th century, de Aluetham in the 14th century, Aluetham and Alvetham in the 14th century, with the appearance of Altham in the 14th century.
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