# Rai (surname)

Rai (Hindi: राय; Urdu: رائے‎; Bengali: রায়; Nepali: राई) is a surname in use since historical times on the Indian subcontinent. Etymologically the term is inherited from (Śaurasenī Prākṛta) Shauraseni: 𑀭𑀸𑀬, romanized: rāya, from Sanskrit: राजन्, romanized: rājan. Rai is a doublet with the Hindi: राजा, romanized: rājā: both words—raja and rai—mean 'king' in Hindi.

## People

* A. N. Rai (born 1955), Indian academic administrator
* Aanand L. Rai (born 1971), Indian film director and producer
* Aaron Rai (born 1995), English golfer
* Ade Rai (born 1970), Indonesian bodybuilder
* Agansing Rai (1920–2000), Nepali recipient of the Victoria Cross
* Aishwarya Rai (born 1973), Indian actress and former Miss World
* Ajay Rai, Indian politician
* Ajeet Rai (born 1999), New Zealand tennis player
* Alisha Rai (author), American writer
* Alka Rai, Indian politician
* Amit Rai, Indian film director
* Amrit Rai (c. 1921–1996), Indian writer
* Anand Rai (born 1977), Indian activist
* Asish Rai (born 1999), Indian footballer
* Atul Rai (born 1982), Indian politician
* Babbal Rai (born 1985), Indian Punjab singer
* Baleshwar Rai, Indian politician, former Indian Administrative Service officer
* Bali Rai (born 1971), English young-adult fiction novelist
* Béchara Boutros Raï (born 1940), Maronite Catholic Patriarch of Antioch
* Bina Rai (1931–2009), Indian actress
* Brij Mangal Rai (1914–1998), Indian freedom fighter and politician
* Daroga Prasad Rai (1922–1981), Indian politician
* Dayahang Rai (born 1979), Nepali actor
* Dipak Rai, Nepali footballer
* Gauri Shankar Rai (1924–1991), Indian politician
* Gopal Rai (born 1975), Indian politician
* Gulshan Rai (1924–2004), Indian film producer and distributor
* Guru Har Rai (1630–1661), Sikh guru
* Harivansh Rai Bachchan (1907–2003), Awadhi Poet
* Haqiqat Rai, Sikh martyr
* Himanshu Rai (1892–1940), Indian film pioneer
* I Gusti Ngurah Rai, National Hero of Indonesia
* Indra Bahadur Rai (1927–2018), Indian writer
* Jharkhande Rai (died 1984), Indian politician
* Jitendra Kumar Rai (born 1978), Cabinet Minister Bihar
* Kalpana Rai (1950–2008), Indian actress
* Kalpnath Rai (1941–1999), Indian politician
* Kayyar Kinhanna Rai (1915–2015), Indian writer in Kannada and activist
* Krishnanand Rai (1956–2005), Indian politician
* Kuber Nath Rai (1933–1996), Indian writer
* Kusum Rai (born 1968), Indian politician
* Lakshmi Rai (born 1989), Indian actress
* Lala Lajpat Rai (1865–1928), Indian author, freedom fighter and politician
* Lalit Rai (born 1956), Indian Army officer
* Mangla Rai (1916–1976), Indian professional wrestler
* Manikala Rai (born 1988), Nepali ultra runner
* Melina Rai, Nepali singer
* Mira Rai (born 1988), Nepali trail and sky runner
* Mona Rai (fl. 1260–1303), Chief Minister of Gour Kingdom
* Mridu Rai, Indian historian
* Mukrand Rai (fl. 1657), Mughal governor
* Muthappa Rai (died 2020), Indian businessman, philanthropist and social activist
* Nandini Rai, Indian actress
* Nityanand Rai (born 1966), Indian politician
* Pamela Rai (born 1966), Canadian swimmer
* Prakash Rai (born 1965), Indian actor, director, producer and politician
* Pramila Rai (born 1963), Nepali politician
* Raghu Rai (born 1942), Indian photojournalist
* Rajiv Rai (born 1955), Indian film director and screenwriter
* Baba Ram Rai (1645–1687), Sikh founder of Ramraiya
* Rai Hau-min, President of the Judicial Yuan
* Ram Bahadur Rai (born 1946), Indian journalist
* Ramanna Rai (1930–2008), Indian politician
* Ramanath Rai (born 1952), Indian politician
* Ramdeo Rai (1943–2020), Indian politician
* Ramveer Rai (born 1987), Emirati cricketer
* Randeep Rai (born 1993), Indian actor
* Sabin Rai, Nepali singer
* Sara Rai (born 1956), Indian writer
* Sarita Rai, Indian politician
* Shivpujan Rai (1913–1942), Indian independence activist and politician
* Suyyash Rai (born 1989), Indian actor and singer
* Tarundeep Rai (born 1984), Indian archer
* Upendra Rai (born 1982), Indian journalist
* Vinay Rai (born 1979), Indian actor
* Vinit Rai (born 1997), Indian footballer
* Vinod Rai (born 1948), former Comptroller and Auditor General of India
* Viveki Rai (1924–2016), Indian Hindi-language writer