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Rae as a masculine name has Scottish and Hebrew origins. It derives from the Scottish surname Rae, meaning "grace" or "deer," or it may be a shortened form of Raymond, meaning "wise protector." In Hebrew contexts, it could be related to the word "ra'eh" meaning "friend" or "companion." Though more commonly used for girls in recent decades, Rae has a history as a male name, particularly as a middle name or nickname. Its single-syllable simplicity gives it a strong, straightforward quality appreciated by parents looking for a minimalist name option. The name carries a gentle yet masculine energy and works well in combination with longer first names. As a standalone male name, Rae remains relatively uncommon, giving it a distinctive quality.

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The name Rae peaked for boys at #854 in 1895. Rae is occasionally used for girls in 2025.

The name Rae is a girl's name of Hebrew, English origin meaning "ewe".

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All the old ae/ay <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/479/middle-names-for-girls">middle names for girls</a> are back — Kay, Fay, Mae/May — and Rae is one of the coolest, used as such by celebrities as Mark Wahlberg and Daniel Baldwin. 
 
Even more popular in the celebrisphere is the jazzy Ray spelling: among those who used it as their daughters' middles are Bruce Willis, Dermot Mulroney, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Peter Sarsgaard, Uma Thurman and Lee Lee Sobieski. 
 But Rae is perfectly capable of standing on her own, as in Rae Dawn Chong; it was in the Top 500 in the first two decades of the twentieth century.

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The name Rae is currently ranked #948 in U.S. births. and peaked for girls at #313 in 1892. It is currently rising in popularity. The name is most popular in RAE, RAE, and RAE. Rae is occasionally used for boys in 2025.

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Raymonda

Year	US rank	Births	Per million
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2020	—	0	0
2021	—	0	0
2022	—	0	0
2023	—	0	0
2024	—	0	0
2025	—	0	0

Rae

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