Ransen
A masculine Scandinavian name meaning "mighty warrior" or "brave spearman".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Ransen. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Ransen today is around 39 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ransen births was 1985 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ransen. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Ransen. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
1985
5 babies that year
Average age
39
years old
1985 SSA rank
#7,343
Tracked since 1985
Popularity
Ransen: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Ransen by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Ransen during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Ransen
The name Ransen is of Dutch origin, derived from the Germanic root "rans," which means "journey" or "voyage." It is believed to have emerged in the Netherlands during the 16th century, at a time when maritime exploration and trade were flourishing in the region.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ransen can be found in the maritime logs of the Dutch East India Company (VOC), which operated from the early 17th to late 18th centuries. These logs mention a captain named Ransen van der Meer, who led several voyages to the East Indies between 1625 and 1635.
In the late 17th century, a Dutch scholar and theologian named Ransen Abeleven (1645-1721) gained recognition for his works on Reformed theology and his translations of ancient Greek texts. His writings were influential in shaping the intellectual discourse of the time.
During the 18th century, a prominent Dutch artist named Ransen van Rijn (1707-1778) became renowned for his masterful landscape paintings, which captured the beauty of the Dutch countryside and its canals. His works are celebrated for their attention to detail and their ability to evoke a sense of tranquility.
In the field of music, the name Ransen is associated with the Dutch composer and organist Ransen Sweelinck (1562-1621), who is considered one of the most influential figures in the development of the Baroque style of music. His compositions for organ and choir are regarded as masterpieces of the Renaissance era.
Another notable figure in Dutch history was Ransen Tromp (1598-1653), a celebrated naval officer who played a crucial role in the Dutch-Portuguese War and the Anglo-Dutch Wars of the 17th century. His victories at sea helped establish the Netherlands as a formidable maritime power during that period.
While the name Ransen has its roots in the Netherlands, it has since spread to other parts of the world, with individuals bearing this name making their mark in various fields. However, its origins and historical significance remain firmly rooted in the rich maritime and cultural heritage of the Dutch people.
People
Ransen + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ransen as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with R
Other first names starting with R with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Ransen: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ransen?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ransen going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Ransen a common name?
We classify Ransen as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Ransen most popular?
The single biggest year for Ransen was 1985, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ransen is about 39 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Ransen in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Ransen a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Ransen in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Ransen still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Ransen in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Ransen can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many Americans are named Ransen?
See how many Americans are named Ransen on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.