Ezra vs Ray
Ezra and Raycompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2023, Ezra was ranked #23 and Ray #395 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Ezra was ranked #38 and Ray #613 among boys in England and Wales.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Ezra was ranked #91 and Ray #404 among boys in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Ezra was ranked #156 and Ray #676 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Ezra was ranked #1302 and Ray #2000 among girls in England and Wales.
Ezra and Ray over time
Ezra and Ray appear together in 3 published lists, across 51 years of shared records. Ezra held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Ray in 0.
The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Ray reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Ezra in 1. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Ezra held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Ray in 0.
Highest recorded here: Ezra #38 in 2023, Ray #429 in 2019.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ezra #38, Ray #613.
Republic of Ireland · Boys12 shared years, 2001–2025
Ezra held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Ray in 0.
Highest recorded here: Ezra #156 in 2025, Ray #409 in 2001.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ezra #156, Ray #676.
England and Wales · Girls10 shared years, 1997–2024
Ezra held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Ray in 1.
Highest recorded here: Ezra #983 in 2021, Ray #2000 in 2024.
The order changed in 2011: Ezra moved ahead. In 2010 they stood at #3824 and #3174; by 2011 that had become #3185 and #5785.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ezra #1302, Ray #2000.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Ezra | Ray |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Commonly interpreted as 'help', with a fuller theophoric sense 'God has helped'. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɛzrə/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #58 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #676 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Ezra has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew); Ray does not have one recorded yet.
- Ezra has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Ray.
- A meaning is recorded for Ezra; Ray doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
How each name got here
Ezra
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #633 among boys in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Boys
Highest recorded2013–2024
Highest recorded position: #23 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2023 (recorded 2013–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #58 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Ray
Popularity journey
First recorded1967
First recorded at #265 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1967 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1967–2025
Highest recorded position: #251 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1970 (recorded 1967–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #676 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys