RAMAGE
The surname Ramage has its earliest roots in both France and Scotland, with its etymological foundation in the Old French word ramage, which denotes “branch” or “twig”.
In Scottish records the name first appears in the thirteenth century, represented by the messenger Peter Ramage, who in 1304 incurred expenses on behalf of the Sheriff of Perth, and later by the witness Robert Ramage in a 1240 fee court of Lincolnshire during the reign of King Henry I, known as “the Frenchman”. These instances confirm the existence of the surname in the British Isles during the early medieval period.
The derivative meaning of “branch” is linked to a possible descriptive nickname for someone residing near a tree or thicket, or one of slender stature, as suggested by the source which notes that the surname was applied to “someone who lived near a branch or thicket, or perhaps someone with a slender or delicate build”.
Other medieval usages interpret the word in a more dynamic sense. The Middle English and Old French term ramage has been understood to refer to a wild, unpredictable individual, a comparison drawn to a hawk or other bird of prey living in the branches. The derivation is ultimately taken from the medieval Latin ramaticus, derived from ramus, meaning branch.
A 1796 grant of a coat of arms to the Ramage family of Edinburgh bears a blue field adorned with a saltire chequy in silver and black, and a black chief bearing three silver escallops. This heraldic record further solidifies the family’s established presence in Scotland.
The surname enjoys several variants, including Ramadage, Ramagey, Rammege, and Rammeger. The spread of these forms is evident in records across England, Scotland, and later in continental Europe and the Commonwealth. In England, the name has been documented for many centuries and is to this day relatively uncommon. In the United States it is most often found in the southeastern region, with notable clusters in Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia and Alabama; smaller concentrations also occur in California and Oregon.
Australia likewise records a substantial number of individuals bearing the surname, largely reflecting Scottish and Irish migration during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The name appears among French descendants too, particularly in variants that are close to the original French spelling.
The surname is likewise present throughout mainland Europe, with a recognised form, Rameau, prevailing in France and the spelling Toomer common in Estonia.
Among notable bearers is Craufurd Tait Ramage (1803–1878), a writer and tutor who served fifteen years in the household of Thomas Spring-Rice, the first baron Monteagle. He later became rector of Wallace Hall Academy and published several works, including the volume Beautiful Thoughts.
Collectively, these historical references demonstrate that the surname Ramage originates from a French term meaning “branch”, entered the Scottish landscape in the thirteenth century, and has persisted through the centuries with a variety of spellings and a presence that extends beyond the British Isles into North America, Australia and Europe.
Typical given names associated with the Ramage surname
Male
- Andrew
- David
- George
- Ian
- James
- John
- Paul
- Robert
- Thomas
- William
Female
- Catherine
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Gail
- Helen
- Jacqueline
- Jane
- Margaret
- Mary
- Nicola
- Sarah
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Ramage in...
Braille
⠗⠁⠍⠁⠛⠑
Morse
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Semaphore
There are approximately 3,259 people named Ramage in the UK. That makes it roughly the 2,788th most common surname in Britain. Around 50 in a million people in Britain are named Ramage.
Origin: Celtic
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: Scotland
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: Gaelic
Famous people named Ramage
- Peter Ramage - Football player
- Craig Ramage - Football player
- Alan Ramage - County cricketer and football player
- Cecil Ramage - Scottish World War I officer, barrister, and actor (1895 to 1988)
- Graeme Ramage - Scottish football player
- George Ramage - Scottish football player
- Paul Ramage - Cricketer
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.