2000
#2,113
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 15,754
First available Census row
Per 100,000 5.84
Uncommon Last name
Ransom
A surname derived from an Old English word meaning "son of Rand," with Rand being a shortened form of Randolph.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 18,885 Americans carry the last name Ransom. That puts it at #2,144 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 5.51 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 18,150 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ransom 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Ransom with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
19K
1 in 18,150
Census rank
#2,144
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
5.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
16K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 16,469 bearers of the surname Ransom in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 5.51 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2144th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ransom, the largest self-reported group is White at 52.7%. The next largest groups are Black (36.3%) and Two or More Races (5.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ransom
The surname Ransom is of English origin, derived from the Old French word "ranson" meaning "ransom" or "redemption price." It emerged in the late 12th century and was likely initially given as a nickname or occupational name to someone who had paid a ransom or worked in securing the release of hostages or prisoners.
The earliest recorded use of the surname Ransom dates back to 1202 in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire, where it was spelled as "Raunsum." This document listed landowners and taxpayers of the time.
In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms such as "Raunson," "Rancun," and "Raunsom" in various county records and medieval manuscripts, indicating its widespread use across England.
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Ransom was Richard Ransom, who lived in Buckinghamshire in the late 13th century. He was mentioned in the Hundred Rolls of 1273-1275, a survey of landholders in England commissioned by King Edward I.
Another notable figure was John Ransom, a merchant from Bristol, England, who lived in the early 15th century. He was involved in the thriving wool trade and is recorded in various business transactions and guild records from that period.
In the 16th century, the surname Ransom was associated with several prominent individuals, including William Ransom (c. 1516-1580), a Protestant reformer and English clergyman who served as the Archdeacon of Chester.
During the English Civil War in the 17th century, Thomas Ransom (c. 1605-1667) was a notable figure. He was a member of the Long Parliament and a supporter of the Parliamentarian cause against King Charles I.
Another individual of note was Robert Ransom (c. 1630-1690), an English navigator and explorer who led several expeditions to the Arctic regions in search of a Northwest Passage.
The surname Ransom has also been associated with various place names, such as Ransom in Buckinghamshire and Ransome in Norfolk, both of which likely derived from the surname itself.
Overall, the surname Ransom has a rich history dating back to medieval times, with its origins rooted in the concept of redemption and ransom payments, reflecting the occupations and activities of its early bearers.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ransom
Among Census respondents with the surname Ransom, the largest self-reported group is White at 52.7%. The next largest groups are Black (36.3%) and Two or More Races (5.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Ransom 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 Ransom surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White52.7% · 8,673
- Black or African American36.3% · 5,985
- Two or more races5.1% · 839
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 570
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.9% · 311
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 91
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ransom
Ransom 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
#2,150
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 16,871
+1,117 bearers (+7.1%)
Per 100,000 5.72
Rank movement Down 37 places
2020
#2,144
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 16,469
-402 bearers (-2.4%)
Per 100,000 5.51
Rank movement Up 6 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,113 | 15,754 | 5.84 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,150 | 16,871 | 5.72 | +1,117 bearers (+7.1%) | Down 37 places |
| 2020 | #2,144 | 16,469 | 5.51 | -402 bearers (-2.4%) | Up 6 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 Ransom 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 | #2,150 | #2,144 | 0.3% |
| Count | 16,871 | 16,469 | -2.4% |
| Per 100K | 5.72 | 5.51 | -3.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ransom bearers went from 16,871 to 16,469 (-2.4% change). The surname moved up 6 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,150 to #2,144.
FAQ
Ransom surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ransom?
Name Census estimates that about 18,885 living Americans carry the surname Ransom. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 18,150 residents.
How common is Ransom?
Ransom ranks #2,144 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 5.51 per 100,000 residents, which is about 6 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 16,469 people with the surname Ransom. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (18,885), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 5.51 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 5.51 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 6 of them to have the surname Ransom.
Has Ransom become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ransom went from 16,871 recorded bearers to 16,469. That is a decrease of 402 (-2.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #2,150 to #2,144.
What does the Census say about the background of Ransom?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ransom, the largest self-reported group is White at 52.7%. The next largest groups are Black (36.3%) and Two or More Races (5.1%). 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 Ransom in the 2020 Census, accounting for 52.7% (8,673 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ransom appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (52.7%), Black (36.3%), Two or More Races (5.1%). 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 Ransom (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 Ransom mean?
A surname derived from an Old English word meaning "son of Rand," with Rand being a shortened form of Randolph. 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 Ransom (5.51 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 many people have the surname Ransom?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.