Rae
Meaning of Rae
Rae, pronounced just like a sunbeam of “ray,” began as a homespun pet form of the biblical Rachel (“ewe”) and, in some Scottish families, as a trim version of “Grace,” yet over the years she has stepped out from the shadow of longer names and learned to shine on her own. With a meaning that hints at both gentle pastoral calm and bright light, Rae feels equal parts soft sweater and streak of sunrise—no wonder American parents have kept her quietly but steadily on the charts since the 1880s, peaking in early-20th-century gumption and enjoying a modern mini-revival. Pop culture lends extra sparkle: think blues legend Rae Gordon, actress Rae Dawn Chong, or Star Wars’ Rey—different spelling, same gleam. Short, sweet, and impossible to misspell, Rae is the rare one-syllable name that still manages to sound friendly, upbeat, and a little bit daring, like a wink in name form.
Pronunciation
English
- Pronunced as ray (/reɪ/)
U.S. Popularity Chart
States Popularity Chart
Notable People Named Rae
| Rae Morris is an English singer and songwriter who has released three albums, starting with her 2015 debut, Unguarded. |
| Rae Dawn Chong is a Canadian actress who debuted in the 1978 film Stony Island and won a Genie Award for Best Actress for her role in Quest for Fire. |
| Rae Carson is an American fantasy author known for her debut novel The Girl of Fire and Thorns and her Star Wars stories, including the novelization of The Rise of Skywalker. |
| Rae Johnson was a Canadian painter who lived and worked in Toronto. |
| Rae Johnstone was an Australian jockey who found fame in Europe, winning twelve British Classics and two Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe races before retiring in 1957. |
| Rae Allen was an American actress whose stage, film and television career spanned some seventy years. |
| Rae Martin Taylor is a retired Australian senior public servant and policymaker. |
| Rae Earl - Rachel Earl is an English writer and broadcaster whose teenage diaries became the book My Fat, Mad Teenage Diary and inspired the E4 series My Mad Fat Diary. |
| Rae Crowther played for the NFL's Frankford Yellow Jackets from 1925 to 1926 and helped them win the 1926 championship. |
| Rae Valentine is an actor and musician who recorded and toured with War, the band founded by his father Harold Ray Brown Sr. |
