Ratner
A Jewish occupational surname derived from the German word "Ratner," meaning a town councilor or advisor.
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,639 Americans carry the last name Ratner. That puts it at #13,440 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.77 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 129,880 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ratner surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, 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
2.6K
1 in 129,880
Census rank
#13,440
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,266 bearers of the surname Ratner in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.77 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13440th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ratner, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.3%) and Two or More Races (1.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ratner
The surname Ratner is of German origin, derived from the Middle High German word "ratgeben," which means "to advise" or "to counsel." The name first appeared in the 13th century in the regions of Saxony and Bavaria, where it was likely an occupational name for a town advisor or counselor.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of medieval documents from Saxony, where a "Johannes Ratner" is mentioned in a document dated 1297. This suggests that the name had already been established in the region by that time.
In the 14th century, variations of the name, such as "Ratgeber" and "Rathenau," began to appear in various records across Germany. These variations further reinforce the connection to the Middle High German word "ratgeben."
During the 16th century, the name spread to other parts of Europe, including the Netherlands and England, as a result of migration and trade. One notable bearer of the name was Willem Ratner, a Dutch merchant born in 1542, who established a successful trading company in Amsterdam.
In the 17th century, the surname Ratner is recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. This indicates that the name had already made its way to England by that time.
Other notable bearers of the surname Ratner throughout history include:
1. Johann Georg Ratner (1654-1720), a German composer and organist.
2. Gottfried Ratner (1692-1762), a German theologian and philosopher.
3. Erich Ratner (1808-1879), a German politician and lawyer.
4. Samuel Ratner (1853-1926), a Polish-born American industrialist and philanthropist.
5. Grigori Ratner (1885-1960), a Russian-born American composer and music educator.
The surname Ratner has also been associated with various place names, such as Ratnersdorf in Saxony, Germany, and Ratnersgrun in the Czech Republic, both of which likely derived from individuals bearing the name who settled in those areas.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ratner
Among Census respondents with the surname Ratner, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.3%) and Two or More Races (1.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Ratner bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 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.
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 Ratner surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.3%
- Hispanic or Latino2.3%
- Two or more races1.1%
- Black or African American0.7%
Year on year
2010 vs 2010 Census
How has the Ratner surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
| Metric | 2010 | 2010 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #13,440 | #13,440 | 0.0% |
| Count | 2,266 | 2,266 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.77 | 0.77 | 0.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2010 Census, the number of Ratner bearers went from 2,266 to 2,266 (+0.0% change). The surname held its position in the national ranking, going from #13,440 to #13,440.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Ratner
FAQ
Ratner surname: questions and answers
How common is the last name Ratner?
The surname Ratner holds position #13,440 in the US Census Bureau's surname ranking, with an estimated 2,639 living bearers. It occurs at a rate of 0.77 per 100,000 Americans.
What is the ethnic background of the Ratner surname?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ratner, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.3%) and Two or More Races (1.1%). These figures come from the 2010 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Where does this surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These tables list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2010 Census, along with a frequency rate and self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.