NameCensus.

UK surname

Cray

Derived from a place name meaning "at the cray," referring to a brook or stream.

In the 1881 census there were 579 people recorded with the Cray surname, ranking it #6,018 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 717, ranked #7,575, down from #6,018 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Trowbridge, London parishes and Radstock. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Mendip, Blaenau Gwent and Bedford.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cray is 790 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 23.8%.

1881 census count

579

Ranked #6,018

Modern count

717

2016, ranked #7,575

Peak year

1891

790 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cray had 579 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,018 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 717 in 2016, ranked #7,575.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 790 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Cray surname distribution map

The map shows where the Cray surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Cray surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Cray over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 426 #5,735
1861 historical 600 #4,419
1881 historical 579 #6,018
1891 historical 790 #5,085
1901 historical 707 #6,239
1911 historical 724 #5,910
1997 modern 713 #7,150
1998 modern 731 #7,244
1999 modern 745 #7,181
2000 modern 715 #7,383
2001 modern 699 #7,375
2002 modern 718 #7,363
2003 modern 683 #7,540
2004 modern 660 #7,748
2005 modern 634 #7,932
2006 modern 647 #7,829
2007 modern 663 #7,754
2008 modern 671 #7,721
2009 modern 690 #7,729
2010 modern 716 #7,645
2011 modern 713 #7,590
2012 modern 680 #7,794
2013 modern 713 #7,623
2014 modern 715 #7,646
2015 modern 720 #7,561
2016 modern 717 #7,575

Geography

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Where Crays are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Trowbridge, London parishes, Radstock and St Pancras. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Mendip, Blaenau Gwent, Bedford, Pembrokeshire and Bath and North East Somerset. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Trowbridge Wiltshire
2 London parishes London 1
3 Radstock Somerset
4 London parishes London 3
5 St Pancras London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Mendip 001 Mendip
2 Blaenau Gwent 008 Blaenau Gwent
3 Bedford 018 Bedford
4 Pembrokeshire 013 Pembrokeshire
5 Bath and North East Somerset 024 Bath and North East Somerset

Forenames

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First names often paired with Cray

These lists show first names that appear often with the Cray surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Cray

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Cray, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Cray surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Cray household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Cray is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Cray is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Cray falls in decile 4 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Cray is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Cray, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Cray

The surname CRAY has its origins in the Anglo-Saxon era of England. It is believed to have originated from the Old English word "cræg," meaning "rock" or "crag." This suggests that the name may have been derived from a topographical feature or a place name associated with a rocky or craggy area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name CRAY can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land and property ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears in various forms, such as "Cragh" and "Cragg," indicating that the spelling was not yet standardized.

During the Middle Ages, the CRAY name was prevalent in various regions of England, particularly in the northern counties. It is likely that the name was borne by individuals who lived near or were associated with rocky or craggy areas, reflecting the descriptive nature of the name's origins.

In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the CRAY surname was John Cray (c. 1515-1572), an English scholar and clergyman who served as the Dean of Chichester Cathedral. Another individual of note was Sir Robert Cray (1576-1642), a member of the English Parliament and a supporter of the Royalist cause during the English Civil War.

In the 18th century, Samuel Cray (1710-1786) was a prominent English architect known for his work on various churches and public buildings in London and the surrounding areas. His son, John Cray (1741-1821), followed in his footsteps and became a respected architect as well.

The 19th century saw the emergence of George Cray (1819-1892), a British industrialist and founder of the Cray Paper Company, which played a significant role in the development of the paper industry in England.

Throughout its history, the CRAY surname has been associated with various place names and locations in England, such as Cray St. Paul and Cray Marshes in Kent, as well as Crayke in North Yorkshire. These place names may have influenced the spelling variations of the surname over time.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Cray families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cray surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 153 Crays recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.72x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 153 2.72x
Somerset 88 9.71x
Surrey 46 1.68x
Lancashire 45 0.67x
Yorkshire 27 0.48x
Wiltshire 25 5.02x
Hampshire 23 1.99x
Lanarkshire 20 1.10x
Cheshire 19 1.53x
Berkshire 18 4.26x
Midlothian 10 1.33x
Sussex 10 1.05x
Gloucestershire 8 0.72x
Cumberland 7 1.44x
Durham 7 0.42x
Monmouthshire 7 1.72x
Essex 6 0.54x
Oxfordshire 6 1.73x
Cambridgeshire 5 1.40x
Angus 4 0.77x
Leicestershire 4 0.64x
Lincolnshire 4 0.44x
Warwickshire 4 0.28x
Clackmannanshire 3 6.45x
Huntingdonshire 3 2.68x
Kent 3 0.16x
Northumberland 3 0.36x
Staffordshire 3 0.16x
Suffolk 3 0.44x
Ayrshire 2 0.47x
Devon 2 0.17x
Glamorgan 2 0.20x
Pembrokeshire 2 1.12x
Fife 1 0.30x
Hertfordshire 1 0.26x
Northamptonshire 1 0.19x
Orkney 1 1.62x
Renfrewshire 1 0.23x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Frome in Somerset leads with 36 Crays recorded in 1881 and an index of 166.13x.

Place Total Index
Frome 36 166.13x
St Pancras London 26 5.74x
Camberwell 16 4.45x
Islington London 16 2.93x
Radstock 15 251.68x
Trowbridge 14 63.64x
Birkenhead 12 12.12x
Hackney London 12 3.80x
Fulham London 11 13.48x
Hamilton 11 21.67x
St Luke London 11 12.18x
Ashton Under Lyne 10 6.85x
Portsea 10 4.42x
Alverstoke 9 21.55x
Bethnal Green London 9 3.68x
North Bradley 9 247.93x
Brighton 8 4.18x
Midsomer Norton 8 93.79x
Reading St Giles 8 19.30x
St George Hanover Square 8 8.07x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 7 13.47x
Hendon 7 34.57x
Lamesley 7 77.69x
Mile End Old Town London 7 5.84x
Newchurch 7 12.81x
Barnes 6 51.72x
Paddington London 6 2.90x
Stoke Newington London 6 13.69x
Teddington London 6 47.06x
Toxteth Park 6 2.65x
Berkley 5 806.45x
Chorlton On Medlock 5 4.71x
Duddingston 5 33.03x
Graig 5 273.22x
High Littleton 5 335.57x
Hyde 5 13.64x
Mells 5 267.38x
Newington 5 2.40x
Reading St Lawrence 5 55.31x
Salford 5 2.55x
Shepton Mallet 5 49.21x
Shipley 5 17.28x
West Ham 5 2.04x
Birmingham 4 0.85x
Cockpen 4 45.40x
Ealing 4 7.95x
Lambeth 4 0.82x
Maryhill 4 11.23x
Sculcoates 4 4.52x
Wimbledon 4 12.99x
Alloa 3 13.31x
Alston 3 33.59x
Barony 3 0.65x
Charfield 3 277.78x
Dundee 3 1.54x
Exning 3 86.71x
Hanwell 3 30.06x
Leeds 3 0.95x
Leicester St Margaret 3 1.97x
Littleport 3 44.05x
Lyncombe Widcombe 3 12.65x
Mapledurham 3 370.37x
Southampton St Mary 3 4.14x
St George Martyr London 3 26.32x
Stretford 3 8.17x
Tetworth 3 750.00x
Wrawby 3 122.95x
Abingdon St Nicholas 2 169.49x
Caversham 2 28.78x
Farningham 2 116.28x
Hammersmith London 2 1.44x
Kingston On Thames 2 3.04x
Liverpool 2 0.49x
Pemberton 2 7.51x
Southcoates 2 6.46x
St Andrew Holborn London 2 8.21x
Stanley Cum Wrenthorpe 2 7.72x
Walcot 2 4.15x
Walsall Foreign 2 2.04x
Ystradyfodwg 2 2.33x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Cray surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Cray surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
William 33
John 27
Thomas 19
James 14
George 11
Charles 10
Edward 9
Henry 9
Alfred 7
Joseph 7
Albert 6
Robert 6
Arthur 4
David 4
Frank 4
Sidney 4
Frederick 3
Herbert 3
Michael 3
Samuel 3
Alexander 2
Benjamin 2
Ernest 2
Francis 2
Fred 2
Harry 2
Job 2
Oliver 2
Richard 2
Thos. 2
Wm. 2
Austin 1
Daniel 1
Edwin 1
Eli 1
Fredick 1
Fredk. 1
Hampden 1
Humbert 1
I.D. 1
I.W.A. 1
Leonard 1
Levi 1
Louis 1
Malcolm 1
Mark 1
Mary 1
Montague 1
Patrick 1
Paul 1

FAQ

Cray surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cray surname in 1881?

In 1881, 579 people were recorded with the Cray surname. That placed it at #6,018 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cray surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 717 in 2016. That gives Cray a modern rank of #7,575.

What does the Cray surname mean?

Derived from a place name meaning "at the cray," referring to a brook or stream.

What does the Cray map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Cray bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.