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

Ringgold, 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 Ringgold surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ringgold in America

Ringgold is the 17980th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ringgold surname appeared 1,553 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 Ringgold.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ringgold 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 Ringgold

The surname Ringgold is of German origin, derived from the town of Ringgau in Hesse, Germany. The name is believed to have emerged in the late medieval period, around the 14th or 15th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old High German words "ring" and "wald," meaning "ring-shaped forest" or "circular wood."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Ringgold surname can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of documents from the medieval German state of Saxony, dating back to the 13th century. This reference suggests that the name was already established in the region at that time.

In the 16th century, a prominent figure named Johann Ringgold (1492-1563) was a Lutheran theologian and reformer who played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation in Germany. He was known for his writings and sermons advocating the teachings of Martin Luther.

During the 18th century, the Ringgold family established itself in North America, with some members settling in Pennsylvania and Maryland. One notable individual from this period was Samuel Ringgold (1720-1778), a Maryland planter and politician who served in the provincial government.

In the 19th century, Major Samuel Ringgold (1796-1846) was a distinguished officer in the United States Army. He is remembered for his contributions during the Mexican-American War, particularly at the Battle of Palo Alto, where he commanded the flying artillery and was mortally wounded.

Another prominent figure with this surname was Cadwalader Ringgold (1802-1867), an American naval officer and diplomat. He served as the United States Ambassador to France from 1857 to 1861 and played a crucial role in negotiating the release of American citizens during the Trent Affair, a diplomatic crisis between the United States and Britain during the American Civil War.

The Ringgold surname has also been associated with several place names in the United States, such as Ringgold County in Iowa and the town of Ringgold, Georgia. These locations were likely named after individuals with the same surname, reflecting the influence and presence of the Ringgold family in different parts of the country.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ringgold

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

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

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

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