2000
#13,494
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,067
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.77
Rare Last name
Ranck
A German occupational surname derived from the Middle High German word "ranc," meaning a tall, slender man.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,254 Americans carry the last name Ranck. That puts it at #14,561 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.66 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 152,065 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ranck 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
2.3K
1 in 152,065
Census rank
#14,561
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,966 bearers of the surname Ranck in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.66 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14561st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ranck, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ranck
Among Census respondents with the surname Ranck, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Ranck 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 Ranck surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.1% · 1,811
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 70
- Two or more races2.8% · 55
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 19
- Black or African American0.3% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ranck
Ranck 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
#12,689
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,434
+367 bearers (+17.8%)
Per 100,000 0.83
Rank movement Up 805 places
2020
#14,561
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,966
-468 bearers (-19.2%)
Per 100,000 0.66
Rank movement Down 1,872 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,494 | 2,067 | 0.77 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,689 | 2,434 | 0.83 | +367 bearers (+17.8%) | Up 805 places |
| 2020 | #14,561 | 1,966 | 0.66 | -468 bearers (-19.2%) | Down 1,872 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 Ranck 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 | #12,689 | #14,561 | -14.8% |
| Count | 2,434 | 1,966 | -19.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.83 | 0.66 | -20.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ranck bearers went from 2,434 to 1,966 (-19.2% change). The surname moved down 1,872 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,689 to #14,561.
FAQ
Ranck surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ranck?
Name Census estimates that about 2,254 living Americans carry the surname Ranck. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 152,065 residents.
How common is Ranck?
Ranck ranks #14,561 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.66 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 1,966 people with the surname Ranck. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,254), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.66 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.66 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 Ranck.
Has Ranck become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ranck went from 2,434 recorded bearers to 1,966. That is a decrease of 468 (-19.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,689 to #14,561.
What does the Census say about the background of Ranck?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ranck, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Ranck in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.1% (1,811 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ranck appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.1%), Hispanic (3.6%), Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Ranck (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 Ranck mean?
A German occupational surname derived from the Middle High German word "ranc," meaning a tall, slender man. 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 Ranck (0.66 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 common is the surname Ranck?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Ranck on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.