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

Ram, 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 Ram surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ram in America

Ram is the 8547th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ram surname appeared 3,853 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Ram.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ram 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 Ram

The surname Ram is of Anglo-Saxon origin, derived from the Old English word 'ramm', meaning 'a ram'. It is believed to have originated in the 11th century as a descriptive name for someone who had some perceived resemblance or characteristic of a ram. Alternatively, it could have been an occupational name for someone who kept or tended rams.

Ram is first recorded as a surname in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as Ramme. It was a relatively common name in medieval England, particularly in counties like Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Norfolk. Early examples of the name include William Ramme, mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1166, and Reginald le Ram, recorded in the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire in 1283.

In the 14th century, the surname is found in various spellings, such as Ramme, Rammes, and Rammys. The modern spelling of Ram appears to have been established by the 16th century. Notable historical figures with the surname Ram include Sir Thomas Ram (c.1500-1579), an English politician and Sheriff of Norfolk, and Thomas Ram (1572-1653), an English clergyman and author of works on theology and philosophy.

The Ram surname has also been associated with several place names in England, such as Ramsholt in Suffolk and Ramsbury in Wiltshire. These places likely derived their names from Old English words related to 'ram', indicating areas where rams were raised or kept.

Other notable individuals with the surname Ram include John Ram (1553-1610), an English politician and Member of Parliament, and Sir William Ram (1770-1834), an English naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars. In the 19th century, Robert Ram (1799-1873) was a prominent English architect who designed several notable buildings, including St. Paul's Church in Rusthall, Kent.

Throughout history, the Ram surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including clergymen, politicians, architects, and military officers. While its origins may have been humble, it has become a respected surname with a rich history spanning several centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ram

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

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 Ram 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 Ram 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 Ram was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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