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

Ranney, 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 Ranney surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ranney in America

Ranney is the 11597th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ranney surname appeared 2,707 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 Ranney.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ranney 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 Ranney

The surname Ranney is believed to have originated in England, with its roots tracing back to the late medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "randen," meaning a boundary or border, suggesting that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a particular boundary or frontier.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Randene." This entry suggests that the name was already in use during the 11th century and may have been associated with a specific location or landholding.

Over the centuries, the name underwent various spelling variations, including Ranney, Ranny, Rainey, and Raney. These variations likely reflect regional dialects and the evolving nature of English orthography.

In the 13th century, records mention a William Ranny, a landowner in Lincolnshire, England. This provides evidence of the name's continued presence in medieval England and its association with landed gentry.

During the 16th century, the surname Ranney appeared in the town of Brecknock, Wales, where a notable figure named John Ranney was a member of the local gentry. This suggests that the name had spread beyond its English roots and gained a foothold in neighboring regions.

In the 17th century, the name gained further prominence with the birth of Isaac Ranney (1638-1703), a prominent merchant and shipowner in Boston, Massachusetts. His descendants played significant roles in the American colonial period and the early years of the United States.

Another notable figure with the surname Ranney was Ambrose Arnold Ranney (1821-1899), a renowned American painter and portraitist. He was born in Beverly, Massachusetts, and gained fame for his depictions of historical scenes and portraits of influential figures.

In the late 19th century, Melville Beveridge Ranney (1858-1919) made his mark as a renowned architect and designer. He was responsible for several notable buildings in Washington, D.C., including the Ellipse and the E. Francis Riggs Memorial Library.

The surname Ranney has also been associated with notable figures in the legal profession, such as Arthur Ranney (1900-1981), a prominent American lawyer and legal scholar who served as the Assistant Attorney General of the United States during the Truman administration.

Throughout its history, the surname Ranney has maintained a presence in various fields, from business and the arts to law and architecture, leaving an indelible mark on the cultural and historical fabric of multiple nations.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ranney

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

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

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

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