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

Rance, 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 Rance surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rance in America

Rance is the 25751st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rance surname appeared 957 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 Rance.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rance 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 Rance

The surname Rance has its origins in Normandy, France, dating back to the 11th century. It is derived from the Old French word "rance," meaning a stream or a brook. The name is believed to have originated as a topographic name, given to someone who lived near a stream or a brook.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Rance can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of land ownership and taxation in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears in various forms, such as "de Rancia" and "de Raunce," indicating that it was originally a locational surname.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Roger de Rance, a Norman knight who fought alongside William the Conqueror during the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. He was granted lands in Lincolnshire, and his descendants continued to use the surname Rance.

In the 13th century, the name Rance was associated with the village of Rance in Somersetshire, England. The village's name was derived from the Old English word "renc," meaning a border or a boundary, suggesting that the village was located near a territorial boundary.

Sir John Rance (1420-1491) was a prominent English politician and soldier who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1481. He played a significant role in the Wars of the Roses and was a staunch supporter of King Edward IV.

During the 16th century, the surname Rance spread to various parts of England, including Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, and Oxfordshire. One notable bearer of the name was William Rance (1545-1623), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Dean of Windsor from 1617 until his death.

In the 17th century, the Rance family established itself in Ireland, where they became landowners and influential members of society. Sir Jonah Rance (1620-1689) was an Irish judge and politician who served as Lord Chief Justice of Ireland from 1679 to 1689.

Another notable figure was Armand Rance (1772-1842), a French general who fought in the Napoleonic Wars. He was awarded the title of Baron of the Empire by Napoleon in recognition of his military service.

It is worth noting that while the surname Rance has historical roots in France and England, it has since spread to various parts of the world due to migration and intermarriage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rance

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

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

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

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