Rae
2025 SSA
2025 SSA
About Rae
All the old ae/ay middle names for girls are back — Kay, Fay, Mae/May — and Rae is one of the coolest, used as such by celebrities as Mark Wahlberg and Daniel Baldwin.
Rae for girls#1306 US
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.
Rae for boys#13425 US
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.
Pronounced RAY.
As of October 2026, Rae ranked #1306 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #313 in 1892, Nameberry popularity #664.
Popularity & trends
Data table
| Year | US rank · girls | Births · girls | US rank · boys | Births · boys |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | #2,150 | 89 | — | 0 |
| 2015 | #2,055 | 96 | — | 0 |
| 2016 | #1,261 | 194 | — | 0 |
| 2017 | #1,433 | 159 | — | 0 |
| 2018 | #1,126 | 218 | — | 0 |
| 2019 | #1,179 | 200 | — | 0 |
| 2020 | #1,069 | 232 | — | 0 |
| 2021 | #1,047 | 241 | — | 0 |
| 2022 | #1,170 | 207 | — | 0 |
| 2023 | #1,204 | 199 | — | 0 |
| 2024 | #1,265 | 184 | — | 0 |
| 2025 | #1,306 | 171 | — | 0 |
World rankings
Rae for girls
Similar names
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Rae on lists
Famous Raes
- Rae Dawn ChongGirl
Canadian actress
- Rae RitkeGirl
American actress
- Rae Allen (born Raffaella Julia Theresa Abruzzo)Girl
American actress
- Rae ArmantroutGirl
American poet
- Rae BakerGirl
English actress
- Rae CarsonGirl
American novelist
- Rachel "Rae" EarlGirl
English broadcaster and novelist
- Rae HendrieGirl
Scottish actress
- Rae WoodlandGirl
English operatic soprano
- Carly Rae JepsenGirl
Canadian singer
- Kaye Lani Rae RafkoGirl
Miss America 1988
- JoGirl
Issa Rae Diop, birth name of Issa Rae, American actress and director
- Charlotte Rae (Lubotsky)Girl
American character actress
- Corinne Jacqueline Bailey RaeGirl
British singer,songwriter
- Rae WilliamsGirl
daughter of TV journalist Juan Williams
- Hayley Rae WyldeGirl
daughter of musician Zakk Wylde
- Indy Rae JohnstonGirl
daughter of Levi Johnston and Sunny Oglesby
- Wylda Rae TaylorGirl
Johnson, daughter of actor Aaron Taylor,Johnson and British artist Sam Taylor,Johnson
- Addison RaeGirl
American singer
- Tate McRaeGirl
Canadian singer and dancer
Rae in pop culture
- Rae WilsonGirl
character on British soap "Hollyoaks"
- Rae CummingsGirl
character on American soap "One Life to Live"
- Rae EarlGirl
main character on British TV series 'My Mad Fat Diary'
- Norma Rae WebsterGirl
main character in 1979 film "Norma Rae"
- Stevie Rae JohnsonGirl
a main character from the 'House Of Night' series
- Raven "RaeGirl
" character on TV's "That's so Raven"
- Hot Chelle RaeGirl
U.S. pop,rock band
- Delta RaeGirl
folk rock band
- "Jasey RaeGirl
" song by All Time Low
- Rae KarlyBoy
character in Pamela Memmott's 2016 novel Rightful
Variations & nicknames
- RayGirl