Dray History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
France

Etymology of Dray

What does the name Dray mean?

This name is a nickname for someone who is 'enduring, patient', 'doughty, fierce', 'slow, tedious' from the Middle English word "dre" or "dregh." 1 Another source claims the name means 'crafty, cunning' from the same Middle English word. 2

Early Origins of the Dray family

The surname Dray was first found in Norfolk where the Pipe Rolls of 1219 listed Roger Drie as holding lands there at that time. Later records show Geoffrey Drye in 1292 and the Feet of Fines for Essex list William Drye there in 1321. The Feet of Fines for Cambridgeshire includes an entry for Walter Drye in 1339. 1

Early History of the Dray family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dray research. Another 112 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1321, 1455, 1487 and 1858 are included under the topic Early Dray History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dray Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Dry, Drey, Drye, Dray, Dreigh, Drie, Dreye and others.

Early Notables of the Dray family

More information is included under the topic Early Dray Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dray Ranking

In the United States, the name Dray is the 14,081^st most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 3 However, in France, the name Dray is ranked the 2,383^rd most popular surname with an estimated 2,500 - 3,000 people with that name. 4

Dray migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Dray Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

William Dray, who landed in Virginia in 1653 5

Dray Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Martin Dray, who arrived in Louisiana in 1718

Dray Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Charles Dray, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1800
Henry Dray, who arrived in New York in 1834
James Dray, who settled in San Francisco in 1852
James Patrick Dray, who arrived in Sacramento Co. CA in 1864
Alfred Henry Dray, who settled in Nebraska in 1874

Dray migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Dray Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

George Dray, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Ann Wilson" in 1857
Samuel Dray, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Ann Wilson" in 1857
Jane Dray, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Ann Wilson" in 1857
Mr. Henry Dray, (b. 1844), aged 35, British settler travelling from Plymouth aboard the ship "Stad Haarlem" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand in 1879 6

Contemporary Notables of the name Dray (post 1700) +

Tevian Dray (b. 1956), American mathematician
Walter Remy Dray (1886-1973), American Olympic track and field athlete
William Herbert Dray (b. 1921), Canadian philosopher of history
Julien Dray (b. 1955), French politician

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html