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

Ranck, 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 Ranck surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ranck in America

Ranck is the 12689th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ranck surname appeared 2,434 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Ranck.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ranck 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 Ranck

The surname Ranck is of German origin, with its roots traceable to the early 16th century. It is believed to have originated from the Low German word "ranke," meaning a vine or tendril, possibly indicating an association with vineyards or winemaking.

The earliest recorded instances of the Ranck surname can be found in various German regions, particularly in areas such as Saxony, Bavaria, and the Rhineland. One of the earliest mentions of the name appears in the records of the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, dating back to 1532, where a certain Hans Ranck is listed as a resident.

In the 17th century, the Ranck family gained prominence in the city of Nürnberg (Nuremberg), where they were involved in the metalworking and clockmaking industries. Johann Ranck (1592-1665), a renowned clockmaker and inventor, was a notable figure from this lineage.

As the surname spread across Central Europe, variations in spelling emerged, such as Ranke, Rancke, and Rankh. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and local scribes' interpretations.

During the 18th century, a branch of the Ranck family settled in the Palatinate region of Germany, where they were primarily engaged in agriculture and winemaking. One of the earliest records from this area mentions a Johann Michael Ranck (1712-1779), a farmer and landowner in the village of Niederkirchen.

In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, many German immigrants bearing the surname Ranck arrived in North America, particularly in Pennsylvania and other parts of the United States. Notable individuals from this period include Jacob Ranck (1768-1842), a Mennonite farmer and minister who settled in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, and Johann Georg Ranck (1800-1876), a blacksmith and metalworker who established a successful business in Philadelphia.

Other noteworthy individuals with the Ranck surname throughout history include Gottfried Ranck (1833-1910), a German-American architect known for his work in New York City, and Wilhelm Ranck (1857-1925), a German botanist and professor at the University of Zurich.

While the surname Ranck may not be among the most common, it has a rich history spanning several centuries and regions, with its origins rooted in the German language and cultural traditions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ranck

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

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

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

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