2000
#132,259
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Ramstrom
A Swedish toponymic surname indicating the person was from a place called "Ramström."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Ramstrom. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ramstrom 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
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Ramstrom in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ramstrom, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ramstrom
The surname RAMSTROM is of Swedish origin, emerging in the 16th century. It derives from the Old Swedish words "ramm" meaning "strong" and "ström" meaning "stream" or "current." This suggests the name may have initially referred to someone living near a powerful stream or river.
The earliest known record of the RAMSTROM name appears in the parish records of Västergötland, a historical province in southwestern Sweden, in the late 1500s. Variations of the spelling include Ramström, Ramstrøm, and Ramströmm.
During the 17th century, the RAMSTROM surname began appearing in the records of neighboring regions like Dalsland and Värmland. It is believed the name spread as families migrated and established new settlements along the waterways of these areas.
One of the earliest documented individuals with the RAMSTROM name was Nils Ramström, born in 1623 in Gökhem, Västergötland. He was a farmer and landowner whose descendants continued using the surname in the region for generations.
In the 18th century, the RAMSTROM name gained prominence with the birth of Johan Ramström (1735-1811), a Swedish politician and member of the Riksdag of the Estates. He served as a representative for the peasantry estate and was known for his advocacy of agricultural reforms.
Another notable figure was Carl Gustaf Ramström (1773-1837), a Swedish military officer who fought in the Finnish War of 1808-1809 against Russia. He achieved the rank of Major General and was awarded the prestigious Pour le Mérite military order.
The 19th century saw the birth of Gustaf Ramström (1839-1915), a Swedish architect renowned for his design of several prominent buildings in Stockholm, including the Old Parliament House and the Royal Dramatic Theatre.
In more recent history, Ingrid Ramström (1913-2001) was a celebrated Swedish actress who appeared in over 40 films and television productions throughout her career, earning numerous awards and accolades for her performances.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ramstrom
Among Census respondents with the surname Ramstrom, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Ramstrom 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 Ramstrom surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.0% · 97
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.7% · 4
- Black or African American2.8% · 3
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ramstrom
Ramstrom 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
#144,141
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
-3 bearers (-2.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 11,882 places
2020
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
-6 bearers (-5.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,064 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #132,259 | 118 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #144,141 | 115 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.5%) | Down 11,882 places |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-5.2%) | Down 6,064 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 Ramstrom 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 | #144,141 | #150,205 | -4.2% |
| Count | 115 | 109 | -5.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ramstrom bearers went from 115 to 109 (-5.2% change). The surname moved down 6,064 positions in the national ranking, going from #144,141 to #150,205.
FAQ
Ramstrom surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ramstrom?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Ramstrom. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Ramstrom?
Ramstrom ranks #150,205 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 109 people with the surname Ramstrom. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Ramstrom.
Has Ramstrom become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ramstrom went from 115 recorded bearers to 109. That is a decrease of 6 (-5.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #144,141 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Ramstrom?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ramstrom, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.7%). 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 Ramstrom in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.0% (97 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ramstrom appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.0%), Hispanic (3.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3.7%). 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 Ramstrom (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 Ramstrom mean?
A Swedish toponymic surname indicating the person was from a place called "Ramström." 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 Ramstrom (0.04 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 last name Ramstrom?
Want to know how many people are called Ramstrom? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.