2000
#9,169
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,270
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.21
Rare Last name
Ramsdell
An English locational surname derived from a place name meaning "wild garlic valley."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,608 Americans carry the last name Ramsdell. That puts it at #9,821 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 94,998 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ramsdell 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
3.6K
1 in 94,998
Census rank
#9,821
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,146 bearers of the surname Ramsdell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9821st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ramsdell, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ramsdell
The surname Ramsdell originates from England, with its earliest known roots traced back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "ram" and "dell," which together mean "a valley frequented by rams." This suggests that the name likely originated from a specific geographic location or settlement where sheep were commonly raised.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Ramsdell name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which list a person named Robert de Ramesdal. This document provides evidence of the name's existence during the Middle Ages in England.
In the 16th century, the Ramsdell name appeared in various parish records across several counties in England, including Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, and Hampshire. These records often showcased variations in spelling, such as Ramsdale, Ramsden, and Ramsdell, reflecting the inconsistencies in name documentation during that time.
Notable individuals with the Ramsdell surname include William Ramsdell (1570-1642), a prominent landowner and merchant in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire. He was a contemporary of William Shakespeare and is mentioned in several historical records of the town.
Another notable figure was John Ramsdell (1633-1707), an early settler in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. He arrived in America in the 1630s and became a prominent figure in the town of Ipswich, serving as a selectman and deacon.
In the 18th century, Samuel Ramsdell (1711-1785) was a prominent farmer and landowner in Kittery, Maine. He played an active role in the local community and served as a deacon in the Congregational Church.
During the 19th century, George Ramsdell (1830-1901) was a successful businessman and philanthropist from New York. He made his fortune in the lumber industry and donated generously to educational institutions, including Cornell University.
Finally, one of the more recent notable figures was Jesse Ramsdell (1882-1958), a distinguished American historian and professor at the University of Texas at Austin. He specialized in the study of Latin American history and authored several influential works on the subject.
The Ramsdell surname has a rich history dating back to medieval England, with its origins rooted in geographic locations and occupations related to sheep farming. Over the centuries, individuals with this surname have made significant contributions across various fields, leaving a lasting impact on their respective communities and societies.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ramsdell
Among Census respondents with the surname Ramsdell, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Ramsdell 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 Ramsdell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.8% · 2,857
- Two or more races3.8% · 121
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 82
- Black or African American1.3% · 41
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 23
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 22
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ramsdell
Ramsdell 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
#9,747
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,325
+55 bearers (+1.7%)
Per 100,000 1.13
Rank movement Down 578 places
2020
#9,821
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,146
-179 bearers (-5.4%)
Per 100,000 1.05
Rank movement Down 74 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,169 | 3,270 | 1.21 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,747 | 3,325 | 1.13 | +55 bearers (+1.7%) | Down 578 places |
| 2020 | #9,821 | 3,146 | 1.05 | -179 bearers (-5.4%) | Down 74 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 Ramsdell 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 | #9,747 | #9,821 | -0.8% |
| Count | 3,325 | 3,146 | -5.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.13 | 1.05 | -6.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ramsdell bearers went from 3,325 to 3,146 (-5.4% change). The surname moved down 74 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,747 to #9,821.
FAQ
Ramsdell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ramsdell?
Name Census estimates that about 3,608 living Americans carry the surname Ramsdell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 94,998 residents.
How common is Ramsdell?
Ramsdell ranks #9,821 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.05 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 3,146 people with the surname Ramsdell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,608), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.05 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 Ramsdell.
Has Ramsdell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ramsdell went from 3,325 recorded bearers to 3,146. That is a decrease of 179 (-5.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,747 to #9,821.
What does the Census say about the background of Ramsdell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ramsdell, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (2.6%). 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 Ramsdell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.8% (2,857 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ramsdell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.8%), Two or More Races (3.8%), Hispanic (2.6%). 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 Ramsdell (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 Ramsdell mean?
An English locational surname derived from a place name meaning "wild garlic valley." 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 Ramsdell (1.05 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 have the surname Ramsdell?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.