2000
#134,929
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Rampenthal
Likely a locational surname referring to someone from a place named Rampenthal.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 119 Americans carry the last name Rampenthal. That puts it at #153,590 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,880,289 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rampenthal 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
119
1 in 2,880,289
Census rank
#153,590
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
104
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 104 bearers of the surname Rampenthal in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 153590th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rampenthal, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.9%) and Black (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rampenthal
The surname Rampenthal originated in Germany during the late medieval period. It is believed to be derived from a German place name, likely referring to a specific town or village. The name itself can be broken down into two components: "Rampen," which may be related to the German word "Rampe," meaning "ramp" or "slope," and "thal," which translates to "valley." Together, these elements suggest that the name may have originated in a valley or region with sloping terrain.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Rampenthal surname can be found in the German town of Bautzen, located in the present-day state of Saxony. In the 14th century, a man named Johannes Rampenthal was listed as a resident of this town in local records. This suggests that the name may have originated in or around this region of eastern Germany.
In the 16th century, a prominent German jurist named Henricus Rampenthal (1540-1601) gained recognition for his legal writings and contributions to the development of German law. He hailed from the city of Leipzig and served as a professor of law at the University of Leipzig.
Another notable figure with the Rampenthal surname was Johann Rampenthal (1620-1678), a German theologian and author who served as a pastor in the town of Wittenberg. He published several works on religious subjects and was known for his sermons and teachings.
During the 17th century, a family by the name of Rampenthal resided in the town of Freiberg, located in the Ore Mountains region of Saxony. Records from this time period indicate that members of this family were involved in the local mining industry, which was a significant economic activity in the area.
In the 19th century, a German artist named Wilhelm Rampenthal (1837-1907) gained recognition for his landscape paintings, which often depicted scenes from the Bavarian Alps and other mountainous regions of southern Germany. His works were exhibited in various art galleries and exhibitions throughout his lifetime.
While the Rampenthal surname has its roots in Germany, it is worth noting that individuals bearing this name have likely migrated to other parts of the world over the centuries. However, the earliest and most significant historical references to the name appear to be concentrated in the regions of eastern and southern Germany.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rampenthal
Among Census respondents with the surname Rampenthal, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.9%) and Black (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Rampenthal 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 Rampenthal surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.2% · 100
- Two or more races1.9% · 2
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rampenthal
Rampenthal 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
#137,327
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
+7 bearers (+6.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,398 places
2020
#153,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
-18 bearers (-14.8%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 16,263 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,929 | 115 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #137,327 | 122 | 0.04 | +7 bearers (+6.1%) | Down 2,398 places |
| 2020 | #153,590 | 104 | 0.03 | -18 bearers (-14.8%) | Down 16,263 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 Rampenthal 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 | #137,327 | #153,590 | -11.8% |
| Count | 122 | 104 | -14.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rampenthal bearers went from 122 to 104 (-14.8% change). The surname moved down 16,263 positions in the national ranking, going from #137,327 to #153,590.
FAQ
Rampenthal surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rampenthal?
Name Census estimates that about 119 living Americans carry the surname Rampenthal. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,880,289 residents.
How common is Rampenthal?
Rampenthal ranks #153,590 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 104 people with the surname Rampenthal. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (119), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Rampenthal.
Has Rampenthal become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rampenthal went from 122 recorded bearers to 104. That is a decrease of 18 (-14.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #137,327 to #153,590.
What does the Census say about the background of Rampenthal?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rampenthal, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.9%) and Black (1.0%). 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 Rampenthal in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.2% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rampenthal appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.2%), Two or More Races (1.9%), Black (1.0%). 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 Rampenthal (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 Rampenthal mean?
Likely a locational surname referring to someone from a place named Rampenthal. 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 Rampenthal (0.03 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 share the surname Rampenthal?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.