Find out how popular the last name Ragston is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Ragston.

Ragston, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Ragston surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ragston in America

Ragston is the 131379th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ragston surname appeared 129 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Ragston.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ragston to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Ragston

The surname Ragston has its origins in England and can be traced back to the late 12th century. It is believed to have originated from the Old English words "raeg" meaning roe deer, and "tun" meaning an enclosure or settlement, suggesting the name may have referred to an area where roe deer were found or hunted.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1199, where a Richard de Rageston is mentioned. This suggests the name may have been derived from a place name, possibly a village or hamlet in Yorkshire that no longer exists or has been renamed over time.

In the 13th century, a William de Rageston is mentioned in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1235. This indicates the name had spread to other parts of England by this time. The spelling variations "Raggeston" and "Ragheston" are also found in records from this period.

The Ragston surname is notably absent from the Domesday Book of 1086, suggesting it emerged after the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. However, its presence in early Yorkshire records implies it may have Anglo-Saxon origins.

One notable bearer of the Ragston name was Sir John Ragston (c. 1450-1507), a wealthy wool merchant and Member of Parliament for Yorkshire in the late 15th century. He was involved in the suppression of the Cornish Rebellion of 1497 and served as Sheriff of Yorkshire in 1503.

Another Ragston of historical significance was Thomas Ragston (c. 1530-1592), a Protestant clergyman who served as the Bishop of Bangor from 1589 until his death. He was a prominent figure during the English Reformation and played a role in establishing the Church of England's doctrines and practices.

In the literary world, the writer and poet Robert Ragston (1615-1681) gained recognition for his work "The Shepherd's Garland" published in 1647. He was a contemporary of John Milton and is considered a notable figure in the golden age of English poetry.

During the English Civil War, Captain Edward Ragston (c. 1620-1679) was a Royalist officer who fought for King Charles I. He was captured at the Battle of Worcester in 1651 and later pardoned by Oliver Cromwell's government.

In more recent times, Sir Edward Ragston (1856-1934) was a prominent British industrialist and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the development of the steel industry in Sheffield and the surrounding areas.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ragston

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Ragston.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Ragston was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Ragston has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Ragston was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Ragston, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!