Explore the Family Name Ranum

The meaning of Ranum

1. Norwegian: habitational name from any of several farmsteads named in Old Norse as either Ranheimr or Randheimr, the second element in each case being heimr ‘home, farmstead’, the first elements being respectively rani ‘muzzle, nose’ (with reference to a natural formation, such as a mountain or rocky outcrop so shaped), and rand ‘edge, brink’. 2. Danish: habitational name from a placename with the same derivation as Randheimr (see 1 above). Some characteristic forenames: Scandinavian Iver, Juel, Nils.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Ranum in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Ranum has seen a slight decrease in popularity over the years. In 2000, it was ranked as the 35,585th most popular surname and by 2010, it had slipped to the 37,076th spot; a drop of 4.19%. Nonetheless, the count of individuals bearing this name increased marginally from 598 in 2000 to 602 in 2010, representing a growth of 0.67%. The proportion per 100k of people with this surname also declined by 9.09% over that decade.

20002010Change
Rank#35,585#37,076-4.19%
Count5986020.67%
Proportion per 100k0.220.2-9.09%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Ranum

The ethnic identity associated with the surname Ranum, according to the Decennial U.S. Census, is predominantly White, which constituted 95.82% in 2000 and 95.02% in 2010; showing a minor decrease of 0.83%. However, there was a significant increase in the Asian/Pacific Islander category, jumping from 1.00% to 2.33%, a change of 133%. Those identifying with two or more races decreased from 2.17% to 1.33%, a decrease of 38.71%. Meanwhile, data for Hispanic, Black, and American Indian and Alaskan Native categories were either zero or suppressed for privacy.

20002010Change
White95.82%95.02%-0.83%
Asian/Pacific Islander1%2.33%133%
Two or More Races2.17%1.33%-38.71%
Hispanic0%0%0%
Black0%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%