Rea-Ray-Wray Surname Project- Background

Background

We wish to invite anyone with the Rea-Ray-Wray surname and all its variants to join this project. Any male can participant who either carries the surname or who is believed to be paternally descended from a man who carried the surname. If you are female, you can have a male Rea-Ray-Wray (or variant) relative submit a sample for your line. To participate meaningfully, persons testing should be prepared to share their direct male line ancestry back to the earliest known Rea-Ray-Wrays either in the form of a pedigree chart or, preferable, family group sheets (excluding living persons).

This invitation extends to all people, those from the United States, England, Wales, Ireland, Scotland, France, Germany, Holland, South Africa, Canada, and Australia; just to name a few places where the surname can be found.

Information about the meaning of the surname is from: The Dictionary of American Family Names, edited by Patrick Hank. Oxford University Press, 2005.

1.  English (of Norman origin): nickname denoting someone who behaved in a regal fashion or who had earned the title in some contest of skill or by presiding over festivities, from Old French rey, roy ‘king’. Occasionally this was used as a personal name.

2.  English: nickname for a timid person, from Middle English ray ‘female roe deer’ or northern Middle English ray ‘roebuck’.

3.  English: variant of Rye (1 and 2).

4.  English: habitational name, a variant spelling of Wray.

5.  Scottish: reduced and altered form of McRae.

6.  French: from a noun derivative of Old French - raier ‘to gush, stream, or pour’, hence a topographic name for someone who lived near a spring or rushing stream, or a habitational name from a place called Ray.

7.  Indian: variant of Rai.

Some of you may have Irish ancestry. According to Edward MacLysaght's Guide to Irish Surnames, Ray maybe a corrupt form of Reavey or a variant of Rea or Wray. Rea is a version of MacCrea, Reagh, Reavey and Wray.

If you are researching this line but do not have any living relatives who might want to join this DNA research group but you are interested in the work we are doing, you may contribute to this Rea-Ray-Wray (or variant) Surname Project General Fund by clicking the link at the left of this page. Your contribution may be made to help participants of a particular Rea-Ray-Wray line or for a non-specific participant in the Project. Just indicate on the contribution form (under "In Memory of") as to how to apply your contribution. Your contributions will be used to offset the cost of testing for those new participants who make a request through the Group Administrators. If you do not want your name to appear with your contribution please check the "Anonymous" box on the contribution form.

You may also send an email to the Group Administrators indicating your willingness to aid a future participant with a matching funds offer. In that case you would not make the contribution until a potential participant responded to your offer. We post the matching funds offers under the News tab. If there is a response, the Group Administrators will contact you with further details on how to make your contribution. If you would like to remain anonymous please indicate that in your email.

***  Go to the News tab under "About This Group" to find information about matching funds! ***

See the News tab for detailed information about a FREE test kit for descendants of Thomas Wray born 1776 probably in Rockingham County, Virginia and died 1843 in Gallia County, Ohio. Thomas Wray had fifteen children, eight of them sons. Only the male direct line descendants of Thomas Wray who carry the Wray surname are eligible for this offer. Send an email to dmoneta@cox.net if you think you are eligible.

Thank you for your interest in the Rea-Ray-Wray (or variant) Surname DNA Project.

Daniela Moneta, Project Admin.
dmoneta@cox.net

Joseph C. Rhea, Project Admin.
rheajc@msn.com