Ransom
A masculine given name derived from the English word meaning "redemption price".
Name Census estimates that about 3,129 living Americans carry the first name Ransom. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Ransom today is around 30 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ransom births was 2022 (111 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ransom. 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.
People living today
3.1K
~ 1 in 109,541 Americans
Peak year
2022
111 babies that year
Average age
30
years old
2024 SSA rank
#1,668
Tracked since 1880
Gender
Gender distribution for Ransom
Out of the 4,771 babies given the name Ransom since 1880, 99.8% were registered as male. The name sits firmly on the male side of the spectrum, with only a handful of female registrations across the entire dataset.
Ransom as a male name
- Ranked #1,668 in 2024
- 101 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2022 (111 births)
Ransom as a female name
- Ranked #17,429 in 2019
- 5 female births in 2019
- Peak: 2013 (5 births)
Popularity
Ransom: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Ransom from the 1880s through to the 2020s, spanning 15 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 895 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Ransom remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Ransom 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 Ransom during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Ransoms live
The SSA's state-level files cover 23 states and territories. Texas, North Carolina, California recorded the most babies named Ransom, while Pennsylvania, Oregon, Mississippi recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 43 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Ransom
The name Ransom has its origins in the Old French language, derived from the word "ranç??n," which means "payment demanded for the release of a prisoner." The name likely emerged in the Middle Ages, a period marked by frequent conflicts and the practice of capturing individuals for ransom.
The earliest recorded use of the name Ransom can be traced back to the 13th century, though it was initially more common as a surname. One of the earliest notable individuals with this first name was Ransom Eli Olds, an American pioneer of the automotive industry, who lived from 1864 to 1950.
In the realm of literature, Ransom is a character in John Milton's epic poem "Paradise Lost," published in 1667. The name also appears in the Bible, specifically in the Book of Hosea, where it is used metaphorically to represent God's redemption of his people.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Ransom, including Ransom Everglades, an American banker and philanthropist from the late 19th century, who co-founded the Ransom Everglades School in Florida. Another prominent individual was Ransom E. Olds, the American inventor and businessman who founded the Oldsmobile brand of automobiles in 1897.
In the 20th century, Ransom Kenneth Bassett, an American educator and historian, made significant contributions to the field of education. He served as the president of several prestigious institutions, including Ohio Northern University and Bowling Green State University, between 1935 and 1963.
Additionally, Ransom E. Noble, an American businessman and philanthropist, played a pivotal role in the development of the oil and gas industry in the early 20th century. He founded the Noble Drilling Corporation and made substantial contributions to educational institutions and charitable organizations.
While the name Ransom has its roots in a historical practice, it has since evolved to represent concepts of redemption, liberation, and freedom, making it a unique and intriguing choice for a given name.
People
Ransom + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ransom 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
Ransom: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ransom?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 3,129 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ransom 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 109,541 US residents.
Is Ransom a common name?
We classify Ransom as "Rare". It ranks above 95.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 4,771 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Ransom most popular?
The single biggest year for Ransom was 2022, when 111 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ransom is about 30 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Ransom a male name?
Yes, 99.8% of people registered as Ransom 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.
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.