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

Rams, 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 Rams surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rams in America

Rams is the 66754th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rams surname appeared 296 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 Rams.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rams 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 Rams

The surname RAMS has its origins in Germany, where it first emerged during the Middle Ages. It is believed to be derived from the Old German word "ram," which referred to a male sheep or ram. This suggests that the name may have initially been used as a descriptive nickname for someone who worked with or owned sheep.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name RAMS can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus, a collection of medieval documents from the region of Saxony, Germany, dating back to the 12th century. In these records, individuals with the surname RAMS are mentioned in connection with various land transactions and legal proceedings.

During the 13th century, the name RAMS appeared in the records of the city of Augsburg, in present-day Bavaria, Germany. These records include references to individuals with variations of the spelling, such as "Rammes" and "Rammes."

In the 14th century, the surname RAMS was documented in the Bremisches Urkundenbuch, a collection of historical documents from the city of Bremen, in northern Germany. This suggests that the name had spread to different regions of the country by that time.

One notable historical figure with the surname RAMS was Johann Rams, a German philosopher and theologian who lived in the 15th century (c. 1430-1499). He was a prominent scholar at the University of Heidelberg and is known for his contributions to the field of ethics and moral philosophy.

Another individual of note was Hans Rams, a German artist and woodcarver who was active in the 16th century (c. 1500-1560). He is best known for his intricate wooden altarpieces and sculptures, which can still be found in churches throughout southern Germany.

In the 17th century, the surname RAMS was associated with several prominent military figures. One such individual was Johann Christoph Rams (1623-1686), a German military engineer and architect who served in the army of the Holy Roman Empire.

The 18th century saw the rise of Carl Gottlieb Rams (1744-1821), a German composer and musician who was known for his contributions to the development of the clarinet and its repertoire.

Lastly, in the 19th century, the name RAMS was associated with the German writer and journalist, Wilhelm Rams (1837-1911), who was known for his political commentary and advocacy for workers' rights.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rams

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

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

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

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