2000
#9,442
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,159
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.17
Rare Last name
Ranson
An English occupational surname referring to a person who ransomed captives or prisoners.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,011 Americans carry the last name Ranson. That puts it at #11,474 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.88 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 113,834 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ranson 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 Ranson with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.0K
1 in 113,834
Census rank
#11,474
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,626 bearers of the surname Ranson in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.88 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11474th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ranson, the largest self-reported group is White at 62.0%. The next largest groups are Black (28.4%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ranson
The surname Ranson is of English origin and can be traced back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English personal name "Randolf" or "Randolph," which means "shield-wolf" or "rimmed wolf." The name may have originated in the northern counties of England, particularly Yorkshire and Northumberland.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ranson can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Ranulphus" or "Randulf." This document, commissioned by William the Conqueror, recorded the names of landowners and their holdings throughout England.
In the 13th century, the name Ranson was also found in various ancient manuscripts and records, often spelled as "Ranson," "Ransonn," or "Ransoun." These variations in spelling were common during that time due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions.
One notable individual with the surname Ranson was Sir John Ranson, a Member of Parliament for Yorkshire in the late 14th century. Another early example is William Ranson, a merchant and landowner in Norfolk, England, who lived during the 15th century.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name Ranson was associated with several prominent families in various parts of England. For instance, the Ransons of Lincolnshire were a well-established gentry family, with Richard Ranson (1570-1640) being a notable member who served as a Member of Parliament.
In the 18th century, the surname Ranson was found in various regions of England, including Yorkshire, Northumberland, and Lincolnshire. One notable figure from this period was Thomas Ranson (1738-1810), an English clergyman and author who served as the Master of Charterhouse School in London.
Another individual of note was Samuel Ranson (1720-1789), a British naval officer and explorer who participated in several voyages to the Pacific Ocean and made significant contributions to the mapping of the region.
The 19th century saw the surname Ranson spread across various parts of the British Empire, with individuals bearing the name settling in North America, Australia, and other colonies. One noteworthy figure from this period was Henry Ranson (1812-1886), a British architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Church of St. John the Baptist in Hackney.
Throughout its history, the surname Ranson has been associated with various professions, including merchants, landowners, clergymen, naval officers, and architects, among others. While the name has undergone slight variations in spelling over time, it has maintained its English origins and connections to the northern counties of England.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ranson
Among Census respondents with the surname Ranson, the largest self-reported group is White at 62.0%. The next largest groups are Black (28.4%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Ranson 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 Ranson surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White62.0% · 1,629
- Black or African American28.4% · 747
- Two or more races4.1% · 108
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 100
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 27
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 15
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ranson
Ranson 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
#10,274
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,138
-21 bearers (-0.7%)
Per 100,000 1.06
Rank movement Down 832 places
2020
#11,474
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,626
-512 bearers (-16.3%)
Per 100,000 0.88
Rank movement Down 1,200 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,442 | 3,159 | 1.17 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,274 | 3,138 | 1.06 | -21 bearers (-0.7%) | Down 832 places |
| 2020 | #11,474 | 2,626 | 0.88 | -512 bearers (-16.3%) | Down 1,200 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 Ranson 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 | #10,274 | #11,474 | -11.7% |
| Count | 3,138 | 2,626 | -16.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.06 | 0.88 | -17.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ranson bearers went from 3,138 to 2,626 (-16.3% change). The surname moved down 1,200 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,274 to #11,474.
FAQ
Ranson surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ranson?
Name Census estimates that about 3,011 living Americans carry the surname Ranson. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 113,834 residents.
How common is Ranson?
Ranson ranks #11,474 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.88 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 2,626 people with the surname Ranson. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,011), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.88 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.88 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 Ranson.
Has Ranson become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ranson went from 3,138 recorded bearers to 2,626. That is a decrease of 512 (-16.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,274 to #11,474.
What does the Census say about the background of Ranson?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ranson, the largest self-reported group is White at 62.0%. The next largest groups are Black (28.4%) and Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Ranson in the 2020 Census, accounting for 62.0% (1,629 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ranson appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (62.0%), Black (28.4%), Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Ranson (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 Ranson mean?
An English occupational surname referring to a person who ransomed captives or prisoners. 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 Ranson (0.88 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 are called Ranson?
Want to know how many people have the surname Ranson? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.