NameCensus.

UK surname

Ramadan

A surname derived from the holy month of Ramadan in the Islamic calendar.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Enfield and Cardiff.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Ramadan is 476 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has changed.

1881 census count

-

Modern count

473

2016, ranked #10,409

Peak year

2014

476 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • The latest modern count shown here is 473 in 2016, ranked #10,409.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 4 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations.

Ramadan surname distribution map

The map shows where the Ramadan surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Ramadan surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Ramadan over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1861 historical 4 #33,628
1891 historical 1 #34,674
1901 historical 1 #34,548
1997 modern 290 #13,832
1998 modern 321 #13,275
1999 modern 320 #13,398
2000 modern 335 #12,953
2001 modern 332 #12,841
2002 modern 359 #12,383
2003 modern 366 #12,010
2004 modern 377 #11,776
2005 modern 375 #11,752
2006 modern 396 #11,338
2007 modern 407 #11,228
2008 modern 406 #11,328
2009 modern 433 #11,031
2010 modern 462 #10,682
2011 modern 446 #10,863
2012 modern 447 #10,720
2013 modern 462 #10,618
2014 modern 476 #10,457
2015 modern 476 #10,379
2016 modern 473 #10,409

Geography

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Where Ramadans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Enfield and Cardiff. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Enfield 027 Enfield
2 Cardiff 003 Cardiff
3 Enfield 007 Enfield
4 Enfield 036 Enfield
5 Enfield 031 Enfield

Forenames

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First names often paired with Ramadan

These lists show first names that appear often with the Ramadan surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Ramadan

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Ramadan, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities

Group

Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations

Nationally, the Ramadan surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Ramadan household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group is often found in less central parts of London and other major towns and cities. Adults are more likely than the Supergroup average to have never been married and are typically aged less than 45 years. Many have young dependent children and individuals may have been born in Africa. There are many members identifying with a Black ethnic group, with the other ethnic groups (as listed in the glossary) also represented, though Chinese less so. Accommodation in flats, frequently socially rented, is common in these neighbourhoods. Part time employment is also common, and work is often in elementary occupations, while unemployment is also the highest within this Supergroup.

Wider pattern

Young adults, many of whom are students, predominate in these high-density and overcrowded neighbourhoods of rented terrace houses or flats. Most ethnic minorities are present in these communities, as are people born in European countries that are not part of the EU. Students aside, low skilled occupations predominate, and unemployment rates are above average. Overall, the mix of students and more sedentary households means that neighbourhood average numbers of children are not very high. The Mixed or Multiple ethnic group composition of neighbourhoods is often associated with low rates of affiliation to Christian religions. This Supergroup predominates in non-central urban locations the UK, particularly within England in the Midlands and the outskirts of west, south and north-east London.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Ramadan is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Ramadan is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Ramadan falls in decile 3 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Ramadan is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
Other Ethnic Group

This describes the area pattern most associated with Ramadan, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Ramadan

The surname Ramadan has its origins in the Arabic language, tracing back to the 7th century AD in the Arabian Peninsula. It is derived from the root word "ramad," which means "scorching heat" or "intense dryness," referring to the harsh desert climate. The name is closely associated with the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, during which Muslims observe fasting from dawn to dusk.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Ramadan can be found in historical documents from the Umayyad Caliphate, which ruled the Islamic world from 661 to 750 AD. The name was prominent among Arab tribes and families residing in the desert regions of the Arabian Peninsula and the Levant.

In the 10th century, the surname Ramadan appeared in manuscripts and records from the Abbasid Caliphate, which ruled from Baghdad. Notable figures with this surname during this period include Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Ramadan, a renowned scholar and jurist who lived from 913 to 994 AD, and Abu al-Hasan Ali ibn Ramadan, a celebrated poet born in 940 AD.

As the Islamic empires expanded, the surname Ramadan spread across various regions, including North Africa, Andalusia (modern-day Spain and Portugal), and parts of Central Asia. In the 12th century, Ibn Ramadan, a prominent mathematician and astronomer from Seville, Spain, made significant contributions to the development of Islamic scientific knowledge.

During the Ottoman Empire, which ruled from the 14th to the early 20th century, the surname Ramadan was particularly prevalent in regions like modern-day Turkey, the Balkans, and parts of the Middle East. One notable figure was Mehmet Ramadan Pasha, a grand vizier (prime minister) of the Ottoman Empire in the late 16th century.

Throughout history, the surname Ramadan has been associated with various place names and older spellings. For example, in parts of the Levant, it was sometimes spelled as "Ramazan" or "Ramadhan," reflecting local dialects and linguistic variations.

Other notable individuals with the surname Ramadan include Khalil Ramadan, an Egyptian politician and diplomat who played a significant role in the Arab nationalist movement in the early 20th century (1888-1966), and Amin Ramadan, a renowned Syrian poet and writer who lived from 1895 to 1944.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

FAQ

Ramadan surname: questions and answers

How common is the Ramadan surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 473 in 2016. That gives Ramadan a modern rank of #10,409.

What does the Ramadan surname mean?

A surname derived from the holy month of Ramadan in the Islamic calendar.

What does the Ramadan map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Ramadan bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.