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

Ravenell, 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 Ravenell surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ravenell in America

Ravenell is the 18272nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ravenell surname appeared 1,520 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Ravenell.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ravenell 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 Ravenell

The surname Ravenell originated in England and has its roots in the Anglo-Saxon language. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "hræfn" meaning raven and "feld" meaning field or open land. Thus, the name likely referred to someone who lived near or owned land associated with ravens.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ravenell can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a great survey of landowners commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name is listed as "Rauenelle" in the county of Norfolk.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms including Ravenhill, Ravenhull, and Ravenild. These variations likely stemmed from different spellings and pronunciations across different regions of England.

The earliest known bearer of the name was Sir John Ravenell, who lived in the late 13th century and was a knight from Ravenhill in Yorkshire. Another notable figure was Thomas Ravenell, a 14th-century cleric who served as the Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield from 1359 to 1369.

During the 16th century, the Ravenells were a prominent family in the county of Essex. One member, William Ravenell (c. 1505-1572), was a wealthy merchant and landowner who served as a Justice of the Peace and High Sheriff of Essex.

In the 17th century, the name appeared in various records in the American colonies. One of the earliest recorded instances was that of Thomas Ravenell, who was born in England in 1620 and later settled in Virginia.

Another notable bearer of the name was Colonel Henry Ravenell (1645-1707), a prominent landowner and military leader who served in the English colony of Carolina. His family became one of the wealthiest and most influential in the region.

These are just a few examples of individuals with the surname Ravenell throughout history. The name has endured for centuries and has been carried by many notable figures across various fields and regions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ravenell

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

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 Ravenell 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 Ravenell 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 Ravenell was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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