Find out how popular the last name Ravenel is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Ravenel.

Ravenel, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Ravenel surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ravenel in America

Ravenel is the 36379th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ravenel surname appeared 615 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Ravenel.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ravenel to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Ravenel

The surname RAVENEL originated in France, with its earliest known roots tracing back to the 12th century. The name is derived from the Old French word "ravenel," meaning a small stream or creek, suggesting that the family may have initially resided near such a watercourse.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the RAVENEL name can be found in the Livre des Bourgeois, a medieval French document from the 13th century, which lists several individuals bearing this surname. Additionally, the name appears in various other historical records from the region, including parish registers and property deeds.

During the 13th and 14th centuries, the RAVENEL family was prominent in the region of Normandy, where they held lands and estates. A notable figure from this period was Geoffroy RAVENEL, who served as a knight and participated in the Hundred Years' War between England and France in the mid-14th century.

As the RAVENEL family grew and spread across France, several branches emerged, some of which adopted variations in the spelling of their surname, such as RAVENELLE or RAVANEL. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and local pronunciations.

In the 16th century, a branch of the RAVENEL family migrated to the New World, settling in the Carolina colony. One of the earliest recorded arrivals was René Louis RAVENEL, who was born in France in 1680 and later established a plantation in South Carolina.

Over the centuries, the RAVENEL name has been associated with various notable individuals, including:

1. Henry William RAVENEL (1814-1887), an American botanist and naturalist from South Carolina.
2. Edmund RAVENEL (1872-1947), an American industrialist and textile magnate, founder of the Ravenel Corporation.
3. Marie Émilie RAVENEL (1824-1897), a French writer and poet, known for her works on women's rights and education.
4. Jacques RAVENEL (1590-1638), a French explorer and cartographer, known for his expeditions along the Mississippi River.
5. Daniel RAVENEL (1759-1823), a South Carolina politician and landowner, who served as a delegate to the Continental Congress.

While the RAVENEL name has its roots in France, it has since spread globally, with descendants and bearers of this surname found in various parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, and other countries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ravenel

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Ravenel.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Ravenel was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Ravenel has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Ravenel was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Ravenel, please contact us.

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