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

Ravenscroft, 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 Ravenscroft surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ravenscroft in America

Ravenscroft is the 25486th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ravenscroft surname appeared 970 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 Ravenscroft.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ravenscroft 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 Ravenscroft

The surname Ravenscroft is of English origin and dates back to the medieval period. It is a locational name derived from a place called Ravenscroft, which means "a croft or small farm where ravens dwell." The name is composed of the Old English words "hræfn" meaning raven and "croft" meaning a small enclosed field or farm.

The earliest recorded mention of the surname Ravenscroft can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1202, where a person named Adam de Ravenescroft is listed. In the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273, a Johannes de Ravenscrof is also mentioned.

During the 13th and 14th centuries, the name appeared in various records and manuscripts, including the Placita de Quo Warranto of 1292, where a William de Rauenescroft is recorded. The Subsidy Rolls of Lancashire in 1332 also list a Richard de Rauenscroft.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname Ravenscroft was Thomas Ravenscroft, an English musician and composer who lived from around 1592 to 1635. He is best known for his collections of catches, rounds, and other musical works published in the early 17th century.

Another prominent figure with this surname was Edward Ravenscroft, an English dramatist and poet who lived from 1654 to 1707. He is known for his adaptations of several plays by prominent playwrights of the time, including Molière and John Fletcher.

In the 18th century, a notable Ravenscroft was Thomas Ravenscroft, an English clergyman and astronomer who lived from 1692 to 1742. He made significant contributions to the study of comets and published several works on astronomy.

Later, in the 19th century, there was Charles Ravenscroft, an English cricketer who played for Surrey County Cricket Club between 1846 and 1858. He was a prominent figure in the early development of the sport.

Another notable individual with the surname Ravenscroft was Walter Ravenscroft, an English soldier and explorer who lived from 1841 to 1920. He served in the British Army and participated in several expeditions to Africa, including the Nile Expedition of 1884-1885.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ravenscroft

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

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

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

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