Rayborn
Anglicized variation of a French surname meaning "born again".
Name Census estimates that about 14 living Americans carry the first name Rayborn. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Rayborn today is around 73 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Rayborn births was 1917 (8 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Rayborn. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Rayborn is about 73 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Rayborns were born before 1963.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Rayborn. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
14
~ 1 in 24,482,453 Americans
Peak year
1917
8 babies that year
Average age
73
years old
1970 SSA rank
#5,276
Tracked since 1916
Popularity
Rayborn: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Rayborn from the 1910s through to the 1970s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1910s, with 14 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1910s peak, Rayborn remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Rayborn by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Rayborn during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Rayborn
The name Rayborn is a unique and intriguing moniker that has its origins in the ancient Germanic language of Old English. It is believed to have emerged during the Anglo-Saxon period, which spanned from the 5th to the 11th century. The name is derived from the combination of two Old English words: "ræd," meaning counsel or advice, and "burn," referring to a stream or brook.
This linguistic fusion suggests that Rayborn may have originally been used to describe someone who lived near a stream or brook and was known for their wisdom and guidance. Alternatively, it could have signified a person whose name or dwelling was associated with a particular stream, endowing them with a sense of place and connection to the natural landscape.
While there are no documented references to the name Rayborn in ancient texts or religious scriptures, it is possible that it was used among the Anglo-Saxon populations of what is now England. The earliest recorded instances of the name are relatively scarce, as written records from that era are limited.
One of the earliest known individuals to bear the name Rayborn was Sir Rayborn de Woodhouse, a knight who fought alongside King Edward III during the Hundred Years' War in the 14th century. Another notable figure was Rayborn Smythe, a prominent merchant and landowner who lived in Yorkshire, England, during the late 15th century.
In the 16th century, Rayborn Fitzwilliam, a member of the English gentry, gained recognition for his patronage of the arts and his support of the Renaissance movement. A century later, Rayborn Cromwell, a distant relative of Oliver Cromwell, served as a captain in the Parliamentary forces during the English Civil War.
Crossing the Atlantic, one of the earliest recorded uses of the name in the Americas was that of Rayborn Jameson, a Scottish immigrant who settled in Virginia in the late 17th century and became a successful tobacco planter.
While the name Rayborn has remained relatively uncommon throughout history, it has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, each leaving their unique mark on the world. From knights and merchants to artists and soldiers, the name has endured as a testament to its rich heritage and the enduring legacy of those who have borne it.
People
Rayborn + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Rayborn as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with R
Other first names starting with R with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Rayborn: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Rayborn?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 14 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Rayborn going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 24,482,453 US residents.
Is Rayborn a common name?
We classify Rayborn as "Very Rare". It ranks above 34% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 48 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Rayborn most popular?
The single biggest year for Rayborn was 1917, when 8 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Rayborn is about 73 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Rayborn in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Rayborn a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Rayborn in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Rayborn still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Rayborn in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Rayborn can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How common is the name Rayborn?
For a quick modern take, check how many people share the name Rayborn on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.