2010
#143,149
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Ratsamy
A surname of Malagasy or Polynesian origin referring to someone with rats or rodents.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Ratsamy. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ratsamy 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.
Bearers in the US
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Ratsamy in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ratsamy, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.0%. The next largest groups are White (1.7%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ratsamy
The surname RATSAMY is of Malagasy origin, deriving from the island nation of Madagascar located off the southeastern coast of Africa. It is believed to have originated in the late 17th or early 18th century, a period when Madagascar was a pivotal hub for trade and cultural exchange between Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.
The name RATSAMY is thought to be a combination of two Malagasy words - "ratsam" meaning "noble" or "aristocratic", and the suffix "-y" which denotes a person or individual. Thus, the name RATSAMY can be interpreted as "a noble person" or "one of noble lineage".
Historical records from the Merina Kingdom, which ruled over much of Madagascar during the 18th and 19th centuries, suggest that the RATSAMY name was associated with prominent families and individuals of high social standing. One early notable figure bearing this surname was Andriambaveletra Ratsamy, a influential advisor and diplomat to King Andrianampoinimerina, who reigned from 1787 to 1810.
In the late 19th century, as Madagascar came under French colonial rule, the RATSAMY name began to appear in official government records and documents. One such example is Rainitravo Ratsamy, a Malagasy intellectual and writer who was born in 1884 and played a significant role in preserving and promoting Malagasy culture and literature during the colonial era.
Another prominent figure with the RATSAMY surname was Ravoahangy Ratsamy, a Malagasy politician and statesman who served as Prime Minister of Madagascar from 1975 to 1977, during a period of political transition following the island nation's independence from France.
Over the centuries, variations in spelling and pronunciation of the name RATSAMY have emerged, such as Ratsame, Ratsame, and Ratsami, reflecting regional dialects and linguistic influences within Madagascar. However, the core meaning and noble connotation of the name have remained consistent throughout its history.
It is worth noting that the RATSAMY surname is not unique to Madagascar, as it has also been found among diaspora communities of Malagasy descent in countries such as France, Canada, and the United States. Nonetheless, the name's origins and deep-rooted connections to the island nation's history and culture remain a source of pride and identity for those who bear it.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ratsamy
Among Census respondents with the surname Ratsamy, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.0%. The next largest groups are White (1.7%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Ratsamy 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 Ratsamy surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander95.0% · 115
- White1.7% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
- Two or more races0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ratsamy
Ratsamy appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
+5 bearers (+4.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 1,840 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #143,149 | 116 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.3%) | Up 1,840 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 Ratsamy 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 | #143,149 | #141,309 | 1.3% |
| Count | 116 | 121 | 4.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ratsamy bearers went from 116 to 121 (+4.3% change). The surname moved up 1,840 positions in the national ranking, going from #143,149 to #141,309.
FAQ
Ratsamy surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ratsamy?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Ratsamy. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Ratsamy?
Ratsamy ranks #141,309 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 121 people with the surname Ratsamy. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Ratsamy.
Has Ratsamy become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ratsamy went from 116 recorded bearers to 121. That is an increase of 5 (+4.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #143,149 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Ratsamy?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ratsamy, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.0%. The next largest groups are White (1.7%) and Hispanic (1.7%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Ratsamy in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.0% (115 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ratsamy appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (95.0%), White (1.7%), Hispanic (1.7%). 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 Ratsamy (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 Ratsamy mean?
A surname of Malagasy or Polynesian origin referring to someone with rats or rodents. 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 Ratsamy (0.04 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 common is the surname Ratsamy?
If you just want to know how many people have the last name Ratsamy, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.