Given name & surname
Tray
“one who is warlike”·“the third-born child”
In English use, Tray is a diminutive of Tracy. One interpretation is “one who is warlike.” Tray is a variant of Trey. One English interpretation is “the third-born child.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
In English use, Tray is a diminutive of Tracy. One interpretation is “one who is warlike.” Tray is a variant of Trey. One English interpretation is “the third-born child.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Tray is a variant of Trey. An origin associated with Trey is English.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
In English usage, Tray is a diminutive of Tracy.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1959. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. In English use, Tray is a diminutive of Tracy. The history of Tracy gives this family its wider story. Tracy’s naming history includes the use of a family name as a given name.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Tray through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 1,525
- 1,525 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 1993
- 83 babies
- 2025
- 6
- #11,862 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −64%
- Cooling
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 6 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 11,862 among boys’ names. The recent annual counts are too incomplete to establish a ten-year comparison. Its largest published annual count for boys was 83 in 1993. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 2,233 as a first name in 2020; 306 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Tray’s family of names
In English usage, Tray is a diminutive of Tracy. Tray has a related form in Trey.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 3
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 2
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 1
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Tray
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Tray, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Tristen
“one who is sorrowful”
96% boys · 4% girls
Tahj
“one who is crowned”
96% boys · 4% girls
Trevon
“from the fair town”
>99% boys
Trent
“from the rushing waters”
>99% boys
Tyrell
“one who is stubborn” · “a powerful man”
>99% boys
Tariq
“one who demands entry; of the morning star”
>99% boys
Efrain
“one who is tertile; productive” · “fruitful”
>99% boys
Hernan
“a bold adventurer”
>99% boys