BRAY
Bray is a surname of English origin, recorded in various spellings including Bray, Braye, Brea and Bree. The form is shown to have been first cited in 1086 within the Domesday Book, where a place named Brai is listed in Devon, reflecting the Old English pre‑7th century root breg or the Welsh and Cornish term bre, meaning hill. The name was originally a locational designation for individuals who hailed from one of the English villages called Bray, notably those in East Berkshire and Devonshire.
Alternatively, the surname may have arisen as a topographic label, derived from the Old English word bræg or brægga meaning a steep or precipitous slope. In this sense it would have been applied to a person dwelling near such a geographical feature, a practice common in early medieval England when surnames were being formed to distinguish individuals by their surroundings.
There is also a tradition that the name developed as a nickname, coming from the Cornish word bregh, which translates as fine or brave. Historical records contain examples such as Roger le Bray of Northamptonshire, dated 1202, and William le Brey of Somerset, c. 1314, indicating that members of the family might have been noted for their noble bearing or spirited character.
Further evidence of the surname’s penetration into various regions is provided by later documentary holdings. Ralph de Bray is noted in the 1225 Curia Regis Rolls of Devonshire. Parnella Brea appears in the register of St Martins in the Field, Westminster, on 10 February 1565, while Underhill Bree is recorded in the register of St Botolphs without Aldgate, London, on 13 March 1669. These entries demonstrate the longevity and geographical spread of the name within Britain.
A fourth line of descent is reminiscent of Scottish origins, where the surname is locationally linked to places called Brae. A contemporary example is Godfredus de Bra, who served as a juror on an inquisition in Aberdeen in the year 1400. This Scottish connection illustrates the likelihood of the name being borne by individuals associated with settlements bearing the same placename.
In Ireland, the surname appears as an Anglicised form of the Old Gaelic O'Breaghdha, indicating a native of Bregia, an ancient region in County Meath. The earliest recorded spelling in this context is that of Alnod de Braio, documented in 1086 in the Domesday Book of Devonshire, during the reign of King William the Conqueror (1066‑1087). This shows a parallel development of the name across English‑speaking and Gaelic‑speaking territories.
The breadth of the Bray surname’s heraldic history is reflected in no fewer than twenty‑one separate coats of arms attributed to the family, a testament to its historic prominence and the varied lineages that share the name. The multiplicity of coats of arms, coupled with the diverse documentary evidence, underscores the surname’s complex and distinguished heritage.
Typical given names associated with the Bray surname
Male
- Andrew
- Christopher
- David
- James
- John
- Michael
- Paul
- Richard
- Robert
- Stephen
Female
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Helen
- Janet
- Lisa
- Margaret
- Mary
- Nicola
- Patricia
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
- Bree
- Braa
- Bras
- Brais
- Bram
- Bral
- Bran
- Brar
- Brad
- Brak
- Bra
- Brai
- Brae
- Braes
- Bary
- Brya
- Braye
- Bahrey
- Bahry
- Bairy
- Baray
- Baraya
- Barey
- Bariey
- Bariya
- Barray
- Barrey
- Barry
- Barye
- Baury
- Bearey
- Bearry
- Beary
- Beery
- Berey
- Berray
- Berrey
- Berry
- Bery
- Beury
- Bewrey
- Bewry
- Biery
- Biriya
- Birrey
- Biry
- Boory
- Boray
- Borey
- Borowy
- Borrey
- Borry
- Bory
- Bourey
- Boury
- Bowrey
- Bowry
- Br
- Brab
- Brag
- Braou
- Brat
- Brau
- Brav
- Braw
- Brayae
- Brayme
- Brayn
- Brayne
- Brays
- Braz
- Brea
- Breas
- Breay
- Brey
- Browy
- Broy
- Broye
- Brry
- Bry
- Brye
- Bryee
- Bryl
- Buary
- Buery
- Buray
- Burey
- Burray
- Burrey
- Burry
- Bury
- Burye
- Whybray
- Breaa
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Bray in...
Braille
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Morse
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Semaphore
Did you know?
According to a survey carried out by Democracy Club, politicians and candidates with the surname Bray are most likely to say that their favourite biscuit is a Shortbread finger.
There are approximately 16,499 people named Bray in the UK. That makes it the 537th most common surname in Britain. Around 253 in a million people in Britain are named Bray.
Surname type: From given name or forename
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Bray
- Barbara Bray - Translator and critic (1924 to 2010)
- Angie Bray - Politician
- Russ Bray - Darts referee
- Alex Bray - Football player
- Dennis Bray - Biologist
- Alan Bray - Gay rights activist (1948 to 2001)
- Sophie Bray - Field hockey player
- Phyllis Bray - Painter and lithographer (1911 to 1)
- Jackie Bray - Football player, football manager (1909 to 1982)
- Andy Bray - Cricketer
- W. Reginald Bray - Autograph collector (1879 to 1939)
- Denis Bray - (1926 to 2005)
- Charles Bray - Philosopher, reformer (1811 to 1884)
- Geoff Bray - Football player
- Ian Bray - Welsh football player
- Leslie Bray - (1895 to 1957)
- Edward Bray - Cricketer (1874 to 1950)
- Anna Eliza Bray - Writer (1790 to 1883)
- James Bray - Cricketer (1853 to 1898)
- Graham Bray -
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.