NameCensus.

UK surname

Rampley

An occupational surname derived from an Old English word meaning "raven" or "crow."

In the 1881 census there were 111 people recorded with the Rampley surname, ranking it #18,597 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 254, ranked #16,632, up from #18,597 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rickinghall, Superior, Stowmarket and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include East Cambridgeshire, Mid Suffolk and Forest Heath.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Rampley is 268 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 128.8%.

1881 census count

111

Ranked #18,597

Modern count

254

2016, ranked #16,632

Peak year

1998

268 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Rampley had 111 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #18,597 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 254 in 2016, ranked #16,632.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 200 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Rampley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Rampley surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Rampley 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
1851 historical 63 #22,069
1861 historical 86 #22,810
1881 historical 111 #18,597
1891 historical 155 #17,920
1901 historical 188 #15,742
1911 historical 200 #14,960
1997 modern 252 #15,193
1998 modern 268 #14,978
1999 modern 257 #15,506
2000 modern 256 #15,510
2001 modern 252 #15,452
2002 modern 260 #15,415
2003 modern 251 #15,563
2004 modern 265 #15,110
2005 modern 259 #15,294
2006 modern 261 #15,289
2007 modern 266 #15,261
2008 modern 265 #15,425
2009 modern 263 #15,843
2010 modern 267 #16,029
2011 modern 259 #16,237
2012 modern 253 #16,377
2013 modern 255 #16,551
2014 modern 263 #16,334
2015 modern 265 #16,139
2016 modern 254 #16,632

Geography

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Where Rampleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rickinghall, Superior, Stowmarket, London parishes, Manchester and Sapiston. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to East Cambridgeshire, Mid Suffolk and Forest Heath. 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 Rickinghall, Superior Suffolk
2 Stowmarket Suffolk
3 London parishes London 3
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Sapiston Norfolk

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 East Cambridgeshire 007 East Cambridgeshire
2 Mid Suffolk 010 Mid Suffolk
3 Mid Suffolk 011 Mid Suffolk
4 Forest Heath 003 Forest Heath
5 Mid Suffolk 008 Mid Suffolk

Forenames

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First names often paired with Rampley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Rampley

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Rampley, 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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Rampley surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Rampley 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 comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Rampley is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

These predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Rampley is most concentrated in decile 7 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Rampley falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Rampley is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

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

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Rampley

The surname Rampley is of English origin, dating back to the early medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "ramm" and "leah," which together mean "a meadow or clearing frequented by rams." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near or owned land where sheep were grazed.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Rampley can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Rammelei." This entry is thought to refer to a place in Warwickshire, which could have been the ancestral home of the surname's earliest bearers.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as "Rammeleye" and "Ramelee," reflecting the inconsistent spelling practices of the time. During this period, the Rampley family is believed to have been prominent landowners in the English Midlands.

One notable figure with the surname Rampley was John Rampley, a wealthy wool merchant who lived in the town of Coventry in the late 14th century. Records indicate that he served as a member of the town's governing council and was involved in the construction of several churches and public buildings.

Another prominent individual with the name was William Rampley, a clergyman who served as the Bishop of Lincoln from 1508 to 1519. He was known for his efforts to reform the Church and his support for the translation of the Bible into English.

In the 16th century, the Rampley family established themselves in the county of Gloucestershire, where they owned several estates. One member of the family, Thomas Rampley (1540-1612), was a successful farmer and landowner who served as a justice of the peace.

During the English Civil War in the 17th century, a man named Robert Rampley (1610-1678) fought on the side of the Parliamentarians and is recorded as being present at the Battle of Naseby in 1645.

In the 18th century, the surname Rampley became associated with the town of Ramley, which is located in Hampshire. It is likely that this place name derived from the same Old English roots as the surname, suggesting a long-standing connection between the two.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Rampley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Rampley surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Suffolk leads with 48 Rampleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 36.40x.

County Total Index
Suffolk 48 36.40x
Norfolk 21 12.61x
Lancashire 16 1.25x
Middlesex 8 0.74x
Yorkshire 7 0.65x
Cambridgeshire 3 4.37x
Kent 3 0.81x
Surrey 3 0.57x
Essex 2 0.94x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Sapiston in Suffolk leads with 14 Rampleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 14000.00x.

Place Total Index
Sapiston 14 14000.00x
Manchester 11 19.04x
Stowmarket 9 592.11x
Bowling 6 56.44x
Diss 6 419.58x
Westhorpe 6 7500.00x
Hockwold Cum Wilton 5 1785.71x
Moss Side 5 73.96x
Rickinghall Superior 5 2380.95x
Thetford St Peter 5 1136.36x
Barnham 4 2352.94x
Ampton 3 7500.00x
Babraham 3 3000.00x
Old Newton 3 1200.00x
Starston 3 1578.95x
Westminster St John 3 22.76x
Woolwich 3 21.98x
Grays Thurrock 2 100.50x
St Marylebone London 2 3.46x
St Pancras London 2 2.29x
Sutton 2 52.36x
Bardwell 1 357.14x
Beddington 1 49.02x
Bradford 1 3.85x
Bury St Edmunds St James 1 28.41x
Culford 1 909.09x
East Bergholt 1 227.27x
Hingham 1 172.41x
Whitechapel London 1 9.37x
Wymondham 1 58.82x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Rampley surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 7
Sarah 6
Eliza 3
Jane 3
Ada 2
Ann 2
Bessie 2
Ellen 2
Emily 2
Emma 2
Maria 2
Alice 1
Annie 1
Caria 1
Caroline 1
Elizabeth 1
Elizebeth 1
Esther 1
Ethel 1
Fanny 1
Gertrude 1
Hannah 1
Harriet 1
Harriett 1
Isabella 1
Jessee 1
Martha 1
Philis 1
Rachel 1
Rebecca 1
Rose 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Rampley surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Edward 10
James 6
William 6
George 4
Thomas 4
Henry 3
Joseph 3
Frederick 2
John 2
Thos. 2
Alfred 1
Arthur 1
Burton 1
Charles 1
Ephraim 1
Ernest 1
Fred 1
Fredrick 1
Geo. 1
Herbert 1
Josiah 1
Samuel 1
Thurban 1
Walter 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Rampley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Rampley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 111 people were recorded with the Rampley surname. That placed it at #18,597 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Rampley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 254 in 2016. That gives Rampley a modern rank of #16,632.

What does the Rampley surname mean?

An occupational surname derived from an Old English word meaning "raven" or "crow."

What does the Rampley map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Rampley 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.