2000
#1,526
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 21,618
First available Census row
Per 100,000 8.01
Uncommon Last name
Ramey
Derived from a French place name meaning "dweller near the rams," likely referring to a shepherd or sheep farmer.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 23,815 Americans carry the last name Ramey. That puts it at #1,689 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 6.95 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 14,392 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ramey 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
24K
1 in 14,392
Census rank
#1,689
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
6.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
21K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 20,768 bearers of the surname Ramey in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 6.95 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1689th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ramey, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.1%. The next largest groups are Black (10.0%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ramey
The surname "RAMEY" originated from the Norman French language and is thought to have derived from the Old French words "Rameir" or "Ramel", meaning "a branch or a bough". This last name can be traced back to the 11th century in regions of northern France, particularly Normandy, after the Norman conquest of England in 1066.
The earliest known record of the surname "RAMEY" dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. In this record, the name appears as "Ramal" and "Rameir", indicating the various spellings that were used during that time.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname "RAMEY" was Sir John Ramey, a prominent Norman knight who fought alongside William the Conqueror during the conquest of England in 1066. He was granted lands in Wiltshire, England, as a reward for his service.
In the 13th century, the surname "RAMEY" was also found in records from the county of Kent, England, where it was associated with the place name "Ramsgate". This place name is believed to have derived from the Old English words "ram" meaning "ram" and "geat" meaning "gate", suggesting a connection between the surname and a location known for sheep farming.
During the 14th century, a notable figure with the surname "RAMEY" was William Ramey, a wealthy merchant and landowner from the city of Bristol, England. He played an influential role in the city's trade and commerce during that time.
In the 16th century, the surname "RAMEY" gained prominence in Scotland, where it was associated with the noble Ramsay family. One of the most famous members of this family was Allan Ramsay (1686-1758), a renowned Scottish poet and playwright who was a leading figure in the Scottish literary renaissance.
Another notable individual with the surname "RAMEY" was Sir Thomas Ramey (1560-1632), an English explorer and navigator who made significant contributions to the exploration of the West Indies and the Caribbean region during the early stages of European colonization.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ramey
Among Census respondents with the surname Ramey, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.1%. The next largest groups are Black (10.0%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Ramey 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 Ramey surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.1% · 17,057
- Black or African American10.0% · 2,075
- Two or more races4.1% · 856
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 544
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 118
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 118
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ramey
Ramey 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
#1,616
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 22,287
+669 bearers (+3.1%)
Per 100,000 7.56
Rank movement Down 90 places
2020
#1,689
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 20,768
-1,519 bearers (-6.8%)
Per 100,000 6.95
Rank movement Down 73 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,526 | 21,618 | 8.01 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,616 | 22,287 | 7.56 | +669 bearers (+3.1%) | Down 90 places |
| 2020 | #1,689 | 20,768 | 6.95 | -1,519 bearers (-6.8%) | Down 73 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 Ramey 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 | #1,616 | #1,689 | -4.5% |
| Count | 22,287 | 20,768 | -6.8% |
| Per 100K | 7.56 | 6.95 | -8.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ramey bearers went from 22,287 to 20,768 (-6.8% change). The surname moved down 73 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,616 to #1,689.
FAQ
Ramey surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ramey?
Name Census estimates that about 23,815 living Americans carry the surname Ramey. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 14,392 residents.
How common is Ramey?
Ramey ranks #1,689 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 6.95 per 100,000 residents, which is about 7 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 20,768 people with the surname Ramey. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (23,815), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 6.95 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 6.95 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 7 of them to have the surname Ramey.
Has Ramey become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ramey went from 22,287 recorded bearers to 20,768. That is a decrease of 1,519 (-6.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,616 to #1,689.
What does the Census say about the background of Ramey?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ramey, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.1%. The next largest groups are Black (10.0%) and Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Ramey in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.1% (17,057 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ramey appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.1%), Black (10.0%), Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Ramey (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 Ramey mean?
Derived from a French place name meaning "dweller near the rams," likely referring to a shepherd or sheep farmer. 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 Ramey (6.95 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 Ramey?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.