2000
#11,040
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,642
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.98
Rare Last name
Ralls
Derived from a place name meaning "rye hill" in Old English, referring to someone who lived near such a hill.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,968 Americans carry the last name Ralls. That puts it at #11,608 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.87 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 115,483 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ralls 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Ralls with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.0K
1 in 115,483
Census rank
#11,608
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,588 bearers of the surname Ralls in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.87 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11608th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ralls, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.5%. The next largest groups are Black (11.3%) and Hispanic (6.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ralls
The surname Ralls is of English origin, with its roots traced back to the early 13th century in the northern counties of England. The name is believed to have derived from the Old English word 'ralles,' which referred to a strip of land or a boundary between two properties.
The earliest recorded instance of the name Ralls can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it appeared as 'Ralles.' This document was a survey of landowners in England commissioned by King Edward I. The name was also mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1301, indicating that the Ralls family had established itself in the region.
During the medieval period, the name Ralls was closely associated with the village of Ralls Green in Staffordshire. This village was mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 as 'Ralles,' suggesting that the name had already been established in the area by that time.
One of the earliest known bearers of the surname was Sir John Ralls, who lived in the 14th century and was a prominent landowner in Northumberland. Another notable figure was William Ralls (c. 1540-1602), a merchant and ship owner from Bristol, who played a significant role in establishing trade routes with the Americas.
In the 17th century, the Ralls family spread to various parts of England, with some members settling in London. One of the most renowned individuals from this period was Sir Benjamin Ralls (1642-1723), a successful businessman and philanthropist who became Lord Mayor of London in 1700.
As the British Empire expanded, the Ralls name also traveled to other parts of the world. Captain James Ralls (1768-1842) was a naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars and later became a prominent figure in the early settlement of Australia.
Another notable bearer of the name was the explorer and naturalist William Ralls (1820-1892), who led several expeditions to South America and made significant contributions to the study of botany and zoology.
Throughout its history, the Ralls surname has been associated with various occupations, including landowners, merchants, military personnel, and explorers. While the name has undergone some variations in spelling, such as Rawles and Rawlls, it has retained its distinct identity and continues to be a part of the rich tapestry of English surnames.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ralls
Among Census respondents with the surname Ralls, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.5%. The next largest groups are Black (11.3%) and Hispanic (6.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Ralls 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 Ralls surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White75.5% · 1,953
- Black or African American11.3% · 292
- Hispanic or Latino6.1% · 159
- Two or more races5.6% · 146
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 26
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ralls
Ralls appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#11,430
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,756
+114 bearers (+4.3%)
Per 100,000 0.93
Rank movement Down 390 places
2020
#11,608
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,588
-168 bearers (-6.1%)
Per 100,000 0.87
Rank movement Down 178 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,040 | 2,642 | 0.98 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,430 | 2,756 | 0.93 | +114 bearers (+4.3%) | Down 390 places |
| 2020 | #11,608 | 2,588 | 0.87 | -168 bearers (-6.1%) | Down 178 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 Ralls 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 | #11,430 | #11,608 | -1.6% |
| Count | 2,756 | 2,588 | -6.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.93 | 0.87 | -6.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ralls bearers went from 2,756 to 2,588 (-6.1% change). The surname moved down 178 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,430 to #11,608.
FAQ
Ralls surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ralls?
Name Census estimates that about 2,968 living Americans carry the surname Ralls. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 115,483 residents.
How common is Ralls?
Ralls ranks #11,608 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.87 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,588 people with the surname Ralls. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,968), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.87 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.87 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Ralls.
Has Ralls become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ralls went from 2,756 recorded bearers to 2,588. That is a decrease of 168 (-6.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,430 to #11,608.
What does the Census say about the background of Ralls?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ralls, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.5%. The next largest groups are Black (11.3%) and Hispanic (6.1%). 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 Ralls in the 2020 Census, accounting for 75.5% (1,953 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ralls appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (75.5%), Black (11.3%), Hispanic (6.1%). 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 Ralls (2000, 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 Ralls mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "rye hill" in Old English, referring to someone who lived near such a hill. 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 Ralls (0.87 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 Americans have the surname Ralls?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.