Surname Ramage - Meaning and Origin
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Ramage: What does the surname Ramage mean?
Ramage is a surname of French origin. It is derived from the Old French word "ramaige" which means "branching of a tree" or "foliage." This name could have possibly been initially used as a nickname for someone who lived in a leafy area or worked with wood. The name could also have been occupational for those involved in constructing buildings or making tools, furniture, and other items out of wood. Alternatively, it might have been used to indicate someone who resided in or near a heavily wooded area. Over time, it evolved and was adopted as a surname. It's important to recognize that the exact meaning of a surname can be influenced by factors like regional dialects and shifts in language over time. As with many surnames, the meaning of Ramage could also vary based on geographical and historical contexts.
Order DNA origin analysisRamage: Where does the name Ramage come from?
The Ramage surname is particularly common in England, where historical records show it has been present for centuries. However, the surname is — in various spellings — also numerous in different countries throughout the world.
In the United States, the Ramage surname is especially common in the southeastern region, with significant numbers in Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, and Alabama. In addition, the surname also appears in western states including California and Oregon.
The Ramage surname is particularly common in Australia as well, with the majority of those who hold the surname having Scottish or Irish heritage, as the Ramage name was brought to Australia in the 18th and 19th centuries by settlers from these nations. Additionally, many Australians of French descent may hold the cul-de-sac variant of the Ramage name.
Inland Europe also has many holders of the Ramage surname today. One of the spellings of the name — Rameau — is especially popular in France, while the Toomer spelling of the name is especially common in Estonia.
Overall, then, the Ramage surname is quite common throughout the world today.
Variations of the surname Ramage
The surname Ramage has many different variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin. Some of the more common variations include: Ramages, Rammage, Remage, Ramagey, Rammey, Ramgge, Rammagey, Ramagge, Rammeye, Ramaje, Rammeger, Ramager, Rammeger, Ramsay, Raymages, Rammager and Rameige.
Most variations of the Ramage surname is believed to come from a French origin, which is derived from the word "ramage" meaning "singing". The Ramage variation of the surname is thought to have been first used in the area around Paris, France in the Medieval period.
The Ramage surname had also become popularized in the populations of England and Scotland during the British migration of the Medieval period.
It is also thought that the old Germanic variation while of the same origin, Ramager, had been localized in the area around Lausanne, Switzerland.
The Ramage surname, however, is still heavily concentrated in the American Midwestern state of Indiana, and to a lesser degree the states of Ohio and Michigan. This northeast area is where many of the original Ramage settlers, who may have been Huguenots, had first immigrated in the 18th century.
So the surname Ramage has many origins and its variations are quite large. No matter where this surname may be found, it likely has its roots in the same source. The surname and its variants are still shared among many families today, and may even pass on to future generations.
Famous people with the name Ramage
- Joshua Ramage: Canadian ice hockey player
- Alfred Ramage: British writer and journalist
- Bob Ramage: American NASCAR driver
- Samuel Ramage: British naval officer and admiral
- John Ramage: American scholar and collector of antiquities
- William Ramage: British military officer
- William Douglas Ramage: American politician
- Louis Charles Ramage: American admiral
- Thomas Pickersgill Ramage: British civil engineer
- Jack Ramage: British artist
- Lawrence Ramage: British inventor and industrialist
- Joan Ramage: British social reformer
- Chantal Ramage: Canadian businesswoman
- David Ramage: British naval officer
- Harry Ramage: British naval officer
- Jim Ramage: American politician
- Mary Ramage: American author, historian, and editor
- Jean Pierre Ramage: French pharmacist