2000
#120,330
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 133
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Ravell
A surname derived from a variant spelling of the French topographic name Ravel, meaning "ravine" or "gully".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 128 Americans carry the last name Ravell. That puts it at #147,954 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,677,768 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ravell 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
128
1 in 2,677,768
Census rank
#147,954
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
112
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 112 bearers of the surname Ravell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147954th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ravell, the largest self-reported group is White at 61.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (33.0%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ravell
The surname Ravell originates from England, specifically in the northern counties of Yorkshire and Lancashire. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "rau" or "rāw," meaning "row" or "line," and the Old Norse word "fell," meaning "hill" or "ridge." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a row of hills or a ridge.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Ravell can be found in the Yorkshire Pipe Rolls of 1166, where a person named Hugo de Rauell is mentioned. This indicates that the name was already in use during the 12th century in the region.
In the 13th century, the Ravell family held lands in the village of Ravill (now spelled Revel) in the West Riding of Yorkshire. This place name likely originated from the same roots as the surname and may have influenced its spelling variation.
A notable figure bearing the Ravell surname was Sir John Ravell, a 14th-century English knight who served under King Edward III during the Hundred Years' War. He participated in several campaigns in France and was present at the Battle of Crécy in 1346.
Another individual of note was Elizabeth Ravell, a 15th-century noblewoman from Lancashire. She was married to Sir Richard Molyneux, a prominent landowner, and their descendants continued to hold estates in the region for several generations.
In the 16th century, the Ravell family had a presence in the city of York. Records from 1568 mention a Robert Ravell who held the position of Alderman in the city council.
During the English Civil War in the 17th century, a Captain William Ravell served in the Parliamentarian army under Oliver Cromwell. He fought in several battles, including the decisive Battle of Naseby in 1645.
Another individual worth mentioning is Thomas Ravell, a 17th-century clergyman from Yorkshire who served as the Rector of Kirby Underdale from 1670 until his death in 1692.
While the surname Ravell is not as common today, it has a rich history spanning several centuries and can be traced back to its origins in the northern counties of England, where it was closely associated with the landscape and the local gentry.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ravell
Among Census respondents with the surname Ravell, the largest self-reported group is White at 61.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (33.0%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Ravell 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 Ravell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White61.6% · 69
- Hispanic or Latino33.0% · 37
- Two or more races2.7% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ravell
Ravell 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
#138,304
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
-12 bearers (-9.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 17,974 places
2020
#147,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
-9 bearers (-7.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,650 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #120,330 | 133 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #138,304 | 121 | 0.04 | -12 bearers (-9.0%) | Down 17,974 places |
| 2020 | #147,954 | 112 | 0.04 | -9 bearers (-7.4%) | Down 9,650 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 Ravell 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 | #138,304 | #147,954 | -7.0% |
| Count | 121 | 112 | -7.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ravell bearers went from 121 to 112 (-7.4% change). The surname moved down 9,650 positions in the national ranking, going from #138,304 to #147,954.
FAQ
Ravell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ravell?
Name Census estimates that about 128 living Americans carry the surname Ravell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,677,768 residents.
How common is Ravell?
Ravell ranks #147,954 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 112 people with the surname Ravell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (128), 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 Ravell.
Has Ravell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ravell went from 121 recorded bearers to 112. That is a decrease of 9 (-7.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #138,304 to #147,954.
What does the Census say about the background of Ravell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ravell, the largest self-reported group is White at 61.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (33.0%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Ravell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 61.6% (69 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ravell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (61.6%), Hispanic (33.0%), Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Ravell (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 Ravell mean?
A surname derived from a variant spelling of the French topographic name Ravel, meaning "ravine" or "gully". 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 Ravell (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 many Americans have the surname Ravell?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.