Given name & surname · also Scottish
Ramsay
Ramsay is a variant of Ramsey. One English interpretation is “from the raven island; from the island of wild garlic.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Ramsay is a variant of Ramsey. One English interpretation is “from the raven island; from the island of wild garlic.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
This spelling has been associated with Scottish and Old English naming traditions.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1922. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Ramsay through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 463
- 388 boys · 75 girls
- Most popular year
- 2017
- 25 babies
- 2025
- 12
- #10,436 for boys · #16,717 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −8%
- Steady
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 7 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 10,436 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 3.8% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 16 in 2017. It also appeared in 5 birth records for girls in 2025. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 590 as a first name in 2020; 8,316 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Ramsay’s family of names
Ramsay has a related form in Ramsey. Ramsay has a related form in Ramsey. In English usage, Ramsay has an alternative spelling in Ramsey.
The ring: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 1
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
People named Ramsay
- Ramsay AmesAmerican actress (1919–1998)
- Ramsay MacMullenAmerican historian (1928–2022)
- Ramsay MuirBritish historian and politician (1872-1941)
Characters named Ramsay: Ramsay Bolton (A Song of Ice and Fire).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Ramsay, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Findley
“a fair-haired hero”
75% boys · 25% girls
Dempsey
“a proud man”
66% boys · 34% girls
Tennyson
“son of Dennis”
61% boys · 39% girls
Conley
“one who is pure; chaste”
63% boys · 37% girls
Hyland
“high”
71% boys · 29% girls
Jae
“resembling a jaybird”
61% boys · 39% girls
Clancy
“red warrior” · “son of the red-haired warrior”
69% boys · 31% girls
Zenith
“from the highest point”
71% boys · 29% girls