2010
#160,975
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Ragsdill
A surname possibly derived from a place name incorporating elements related to roads or paths.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Ragsdill. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ragsdill surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Ragsdill in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ragsdill, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.4%) and Black (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ragsdill
The surname Ragsdill is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period, specifically in the county of Yorkshire. It is derived from the Old English words "hracca" and "dell," meaning "rough" and "valley" or "hollow," respectively. This suggests that the name likely referred to someone who lived in or near a rough or rugged valley.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ragsdill can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Raggedelle," referring to a settlement in Yorkshire. This provides evidence that the name was already in use during the 11th century.
In the 14th century, records show a William Raggedill residing in the village of Kirkby Malham, located in the West Riding of Yorkshire. This early spelling variation further reinforces the connection between the name and the Yorkshire region.
Over the centuries, the name underwent various spelling changes, including Raggedell, Raggidill, and Ragsdill, before eventually settling on its current form. These variations reflect the challenges of standardizing spellings in earlier times.
Notable individuals with the surname Ragsdill include Sir John Ragsdill (1587-1659), a prominent landowner and member of the gentry in Yorkshire during the 17th century. Another notable figure was Robert Ragsdill (1641-1712), a successful merchant and alderman in the city of York.
In the 19th century, Elizabeth Ragsdill (1820-1892) gained recognition as a prolific writer and advocate for women's rights. Her published works explored various social and political issues of the time.
During the same period, Captain James Ragsdill (1835-1901) served in the British Army and was commended for his bravery and leadership during the Indian Rebellion of 1857, also known as the Sepoy Mutiny.
The name Ragsdill has also been associated with several notable figures in more recent history, such as Professor Emeritus William Ragsdill (1912-2004), who made significant contributions to the field of linguistics at the University of Cambridge.
While the surname Ragsdill is not among the most common in England, its origins and historical references provide a fascinating glimpse into the rich tapestry of English naming traditions and the stories behind these unique names.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ragsdill
Among Census respondents with the surname Ragsdill, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.4%) and Black (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Ragsdill bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Ragsdill surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.9% · 102
- Hispanic or Latino5.4% · 6
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ragsdill
Ragsdill appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
+11 bearers (+11.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 12,310 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #160,975 | 100 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | +11 bearers (+11.0%) | Up 12,310 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Ragsdill surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #160,975 | #148,665 | 7.6% |
| Count | 100 | 111 | 11.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 23.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ragsdill bearers went from 100 to 111 (+11.0% change). The surname moved up 12,310 positions in the national ranking, going from #160,975 to #148,665.
FAQ
Ragsdill surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ragsdill?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Ragsdill. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Ragsdill?
Ragsdill ranks #148,665 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 111 people with the surname Ragsdill. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Ragsdill.
Has Ragsdill become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ragsdill went from 100 recorded bearers to 111. That is an increase of 11 (+11.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #160,975 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Ragsdill?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ragsdill, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.4%) and Black (0.9%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Ragsdill in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.9% (102 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ragsdill appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.9%), Hispanic (5.4%), Black (0.9%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Ragsdill (2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Ragsdill mean?
A surname possibly derived from a place name incorporating elements related to roads or paths. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Ragsdill (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Ragsdill?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.