Fun Facts About the Name Ramsay
- 463 babies named Ramsay: U.S. records list 463 babies given the name Ramsay from 1880 through 2025. Even 75 girls received the name Ramsay - about 1 girl for every 5 boys.
What Does the Name Ramsay Mean?
Ramsay is a Scottish surname and given name that began as a place name in Old English. It joins the elements hramsa, meaning "wild garlic" (also called ramson), and ēg, meaning "island," so the literal sense is "island of wild garlic" or "garlic island."
The place behind the name is Ramsey in Huntingdonshire, England, now part of Cambridgeshire, recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Ramesei. The first element is usually identified as hramsa, though the exact derivation of that syllable has been debated.
The Scottish surname and given name Ramsay is a spelling variant of this place name. Ramsey is the more common English spelling, while Ramsay is the usual Scottish form.
Ramsay Name History & Origins
Ramsay came to Scotland as a surname in the twelfth century. A family of Norman descent that held the village of Ramsey in Huntingdonshire moved north, and in the reign of King David I a Simundus de Ramesia appears in Scottish records as a witness to charters. From this line came the Ramsays of Dalhousie in Midlothian, a family later associated with the title Earl of Dalhousie. Early records show the surname in several forms, including Ramesia and Ramesey, before the Scottish spelling Ramsay became established.
As a given name, Ramsay developed out of the surname, used mainly in Scotland and later in other English-speaking countries, where it appears alongside the spelling Ramsey. A noted bearer is the British statesman Ramsay MacDonald (1866 - 1937), who served as Prime Minister.
In recent fiction, Ramsay is the first name of Ramsay Bolton in George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire and its television adaptation. That is a modern literary use, separate from the name's long earlier history as a Scottish surname and given name.
How Popular is the Name Ramsay?
Ramsay has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2017. Its best rank was #3,247 in 1948.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #16,717 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2023 | #14,764 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 2021 | #17,116 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2020 | #14,727 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 2018 | #17,587 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2017 | #11,415 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2015 | #18,524 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2013 | #18,681 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2012 | #16,415 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2008 | #19,783 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1998 | #15,986 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1997 | #11,776 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1984 | #10,021 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #10,436 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2024 | #11,977 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2023 | #8,765 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2022 | #6,745 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2021 | #5,965 | 15 | 0.0009% |
| 2020 | #10,346 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2019 | #7,515 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2018 | #8,021 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2017 | #5,723 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 2016 | #9,474 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2015 | #11,768 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2014 | #9,415 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2013 | #7,439 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2012 | #10,503 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2011 | #10,526 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2010 | #9,474 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2009 | #8,155 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2008 | #8,152 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2006 | #8,575 | 9 | 0.0004% |
| 2005 | #11,141 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2004 | #11,024 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2003 | #12,321 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2002 | #8,266 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2001 | #10,248 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2000 | #6,713 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1998 | #7,383 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1997 | #10,453 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1996 | #7,772 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1995 | #8,629 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1994 | #6,832 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1992 | #6,557 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1990 | #6,993 | 7 | 0.0003% |
| 1988 | #5,612 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1987 | #5,336 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1986 | #6,534 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1985 | #5,611 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1984 | #6,139 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1982 | #4,902 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1981 | #6,066 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1980 | #7,047 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1974 | #5,097 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1971 | #5,484 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1967 | #4,415 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1964 | #3,936 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1963 | #4,492 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1958 | #4,372 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1951 | #3,635 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1948 | #3,247 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1943 | #3,935 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1931 | #4,207 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1928 | #4,608 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1922 | #4,212 | 6 | 0.0006% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Ramsay Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are a law unto itself. Your tendency is to finish whatever you start. You are tolerant and like to help humanity. You are very active. You are generally warmhearted and gives freely of your time, energy, and sympathetic understanding. You have tolerance and acceptance of the frailties of others. Universal and humanitarian in outlook. This is very compassionate name. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
You are seeking freedom, opportunities to enjoy life: to make love, to go places and to do things. You are very adventurous and willing to take risk to achieve your objectives. New ways and new experiences can't satisfy your restless nature. One adventure leads you to another. You are honest and fair, because you know that this is the only way to receive justice and honesty from other people. But your personal growth is vital for you, and it is difficult to be tied down by rules and obligations. Your restless spirit might best controlled by choosing the field of work that meet your demand for action and adventure.
✦ Ramsay's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Ramsay's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.