Explore the Family Name Ralph
The meaning of Ralph
English: from Anglo-Norman and Middle English Raulf, Ralf, an Old French form of ancient Germanic Radulf (from rād ‘counsel, advice’ + wulf ‘wolf’), hence the usual latinization of the name as Radulfus. Ralph was a common personal name among the Normans and from the mid-13th century among the native English. Almost 7% of men in the late 14th century were named Ralph. It was pronounced in a variety of ways, giving rise to a large number of different surnames. Ralf could be shortened to Raff, hence the surname Raff and possibly Raffel. Raulf was sometimes shortened to Raul, giving us Rall and Rawlin (see Rawling). It also appears as Rauf, which was often shortened to Rau, hence the surnames Rawe and Rawkin (‘young Ralph’), as well as Haw, Hawkins, Daw and Dawkins, derived from rhyming pet forms. In late Middle English the diphthong -au- was sometimes simplified to long -a-, later pronounced ‘ay’ as in modern English day, which accounts for Rafe. This pronunciation of the personal name Ralph is still occasionally found in modern times. Ralph is a learned spelling of Ralf that became common in the 16th century. In Anglo-Norman and Middle English usage, the rarer personal name Rolf was sometimes confused with Ralf, which explains why Ralf is an alternative source for Rolf, Rowe, Dow, and their derivatives.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Ralph in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Ralph has slightly decreased in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Ralph was ranked 4106th most common surname, with a count of 7987, while in 2010, the rank dropped to 4358 with an increased count of 8153. This represents a change in rank by -6.14% and a minor increase in the count by 2.08%. The proportion of this surname per 100k people also saw a decline of -6.76%.
2000 | 2010 | Change | |
---|---|---|---|
Rank | #4,106 | #4,358 | -6.14% |
Count | 7,987 | 8,153 | 2.08% |
Proportion per 100k | 2.96 | 2.76 | -6.76% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Ralph
Regarding ethnicity, again according to the Decennial U.S. Census data, the largest group of people with the surname Ralph identify as White, although the percentage decreased from 84.70% in 2000 to 82.41% in 2010. Those identifying as Black made up the next largest group, increasing from 10.94% in 2000 to 12.14% in 2010. There was also a significant increase in the Hispanic population carrying this surname, rising from 1.55% to 2.64%, marking a 70.32% increase. However, those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander, Two or more races, and American Indian and Alaskan Native saw minor changes over the decade.
2000 | 2010 | Change | |
---|---|---|---|
White | 84.7% | 82.41% | -2.7% |
Black | 10.94% | 12.14% | 10.97% |
Hispanic | 1.55% | 2.64% | 70.32% |
Two or More Races | 1.63% | 1.56% | -4.29% |
Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.69% | 0.8% | 15.94% |
American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.49% | 0.45% | -8.16% |
Ralph ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Ralph is British & Irish, which comprises 54.4% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (21.1%) and Italian (4.0%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Eastern European, Ashkenazi Jewish, Nigerian, and Spanish & Portuguese.
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ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
---|---|
British & Irish | 54.4% |
French & German | 21.1% |
Italian | 4.0% |
Other | 20.5% |
Possible origins of the surname Ralph
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Ralph have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
---|---|
Greater London, United Kingdom | 86.50% |
Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 86.50% |
West Midlands, United Kingdom | 86.00% |
Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 86.00% |
Lancashire, United Kingdom | 86.00% |
What Ralph haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Ralph is R-CTS241, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-CTS241 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-L21 and R-L48, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Goddard, Cameron, Rees, Middleton, Kendrick, Watters, Gibbons, Davies, Knott, Howe.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Ralph surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Ralph have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Traits
Habits
Wellness
Are health conditions linked to the last name Ralph?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Ralph are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition