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

Randolph, 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 Randolph surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Randolph in America

Randolph is the 840th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Randolph surname appeared 41,129 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 14 people would have the surname Randolph.

We can also compare 2010 data for Randolph 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 Randolph

The surname Randolph originated in England during the Anglo-Saxon period. It is derived from the Old English words "rand" meaning rim or border, and "hyll" meaning hill or ridge, together translating to "border ridge". The name likely referred to someone who lived near a ridge or boundary line.

The earliest recorded spelling of the name is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Randulphus". This reference suggests the name was already in use by the late 11th century in England. Other early spellings include Randolf, Randulfe, and Randolff.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Randolph de Gernon, a Norman knight who accompanied William the Conqueror during the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. He became the Earl of Chester and was granted lands in Cheshire.

Another notable figure was Thomas Randolph, 1st Earl of Moray (1278-1332), a Scottish nobleman and military leader who played a significant role in the Wars of Scottish Independence against England. He was a close companion and nephew of Robert the Bruce.

In the 15th century, Sir John Randolph (c.1430-1492) was a prominent English landowner and Member of Parliament for Kent. He served as Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports under King Edward IV.

During the American Revolutionary War, Edmund Randolph (1753-1813) was an influential statesman and the seventh Governor of Virginia. He also served as the first United States Attorney General under President George Washington.

John Randolph of Roanoke (1773-1833) was a prominent American planter, politician, and diplomat from Virginia. He served in the United States House of Representatives and was known for his oratory skills and fiery speeches.

The surname Randolph has been associated with several place names in England, including Randolph in Norfolk, Randolph Priory in Somerset, and Randolf's Green in Essex. These locations likely derived their names from early settlers or landowners bearing the Randolph surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Randolph

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

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

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

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