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Ransom name meaning

First Name
4k
in the U.S.
since 1880
Last Name
17k
in the U.S.
in 2010
Girls
Boys
Origin:
Gender:

Meaning and Origin

What does the name Ransom mean? Keep reading to find the user submitted meanings, dictionary definitions, and more.

Origin and Meaning of Ransom

User Submitted Origins

English
70%
African
20%
Native American
10%

Submit the origin and/or meaning of Ransom to us below

International Interest
Also see international interest
Webster's Unabridged Dictionary
noun Ran"som
Senses
  1. The release of a captive, or of captured property, by payment of a consideration; redemption; as, prisoners hopeless of ransom .
  2. The money or price paid for the redemption of a prisoner, or for goods captured by an enemy; payment for freedom from restraint, penalty, or forfeit."Thy ransom paid, which man from death redeems." [Milton.]"His captivity in Austria, and the heavy ransom he paid for his liberty." [Sir J. Davies.]
  3. [O. Eng. Law] A sum paid for the pardon of some great offense and the discharge of the offender; also, a fine paid in lieu of corporal punishment.

Etymology: OE. raunson raunsoun, OF. rançon raençon raançon, F. rançon, fr. L. redemptio, fr. redimere to redeem. See Redeem, and cf. Redemption

verb Ran"som
Senses
  1. To redeem from captivity, servitude, punishment, or forfeit, by paying a price; to buy out of servitude or penalty; to rescue; to deliver; as, to ransom prisoners from an enemy.
  2. To exact a ransom for, or a payment on.(R)"Such lands as he had rule of he ransomed them so grievously, and would tax the men two or three times in a year." [Berners.]

Etymology: Cf. F. rançonner. See Ransom (n.)

Other Dictionary Sources
  1. The act of freeing from captivity or punishment
  2. Payment for the release of someone
  3. Money demanded for the return of a captured person
    Synonyms: ransom money
  4. Exchange or buy back for money; under threat
    Synonyms: redeem
Wiktionary

From the Middle English ransoun, from the Old French raençon, from stem of Latin redemptio; doublet of redemption. Entered English ca. the 13th century.

  1. Money paid for the freeing of a hostage.
    They were held for two million dollars .
    They were held to .
  2. The release of a captive, or of captured property, by payment of a consideration.
    prisoners hopeless of
  3. (historical, law, Britain) A sum paid for the pardon of some great offence and the discharge of the offender; also, a fine paid in lieu of corporal punishment.
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Notable Persons Named Ransom

Notable Persons Named Ransom

Ransom Riggs

Ransom Riggs is a children's literature writer. Ransom was born in Maryland.

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Ransom E. Olds

Ransom E. Olds was a business, automobiles, and car. Ransom was given the name Ransom Eli Olds on June 3rd, 1864 in Geneva, Ohio. He passed away on August 26th, 1950.

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Ransom A. Myers

Ransom A. Myers was a in the field of biologist. Ransom was born on June 13th, 1952 in Lula, Mississippi. He passed away on March 27th, 2007.

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Ransom Wilson

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Ransom M. Callicott

Ransom was born on July 12th, 1895. He died on November 14th, 1962.

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Ransom Dunn

Ransom was born on July 7th, 1818 in Bakersfield, Vermont. He left this life on November 9th, 1900.

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Notable Persons With the Last Name Ransom

Notable Persons With the Last Name Ransom

Jessica Ransom

Jessica Ransom is an actress. She was most prominent from 2009 to present. Jessica was born Jessica Ransom in 1981 in Sheffield.

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John Crowe Ransom

John Crowe Ransom was an educator, scholar, literary critic, poet, and essayist. John was born on April 30th, 1888 in Pulaski, Tennessee. He left this life on July 3rd, 1974.

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Terrell Ransom Jr

Terrell Ransom Jr is an actor, singer, and musician. They were most active from 2007 to present. Terrell was given the name Terrell Louis Ransom, Jr. on July 5th, 2003 in Royal Oak, Michigan.

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Bishop Reverdy Cassius Ransom

Bishop was born on January 4th, 1861 in Flushing, Ohio. He breathed his last breath on April 22nd, 1959.

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Cody Ransom

Cody Ransom is an athlete. Cody was born on February 17th, 1976 in Mesa, Arizona.

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Ben Ransom

Ben was born on February 16th, 1992.

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  • Victoria Ransom
    Entrepreneurship
  • Matt Whitaker Ransom
    United States Senate
  • Jr. Robert Ransom
  • Thomas Edwin Greenfield Ransom
    Military Person
  • Epaphroditus Ransom
    Governor of Michigan
  • Truman B. Ransom
    Norwich University
  • Dunbar R. Ransom
  • Will Ransom
  • Samuel "Sammie" Ransom
    Baseball Player
  • Sir Alfred Ransom
  • Dustin Ransom
    Musician

Common last names for Ransom

Common first names for Ransom

Ethnicity Distribution

Ethnicity Ransom U.S.
█  White 53.33% 64.26%
█  African American 37.98% 11.96%
█  Asian, Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander 0.47% 4.85%
█  American Indian and Alaska Native 2.28% 0.69%
█  Two or More Ethnicities 3.17% 1.76%
█  Hispanic or Latino 2.76% 16.26%

Of Last Name Ransom

People with the last name Ransom are most frequently White or African American

Entire United States

Fun Facts about the name Ransom

  • What name lists does Ransom rank for?
    #86Vintage Boy Names
  • How Popular is the name Ransom? Ransom is the 4,317th most popular name of all time. As a last name Ransom was the 2,150th most popular name in 2010.
  • How many people with the first name Ransom have been born in the United States? From 1880 to 2019, the Social Security Administration has recorded 4,243 babies born with the first name Ransom in the United States. That's more than enough people named Ransom to occupy the territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha (United Kingdom) with an estimated population of 4,000 (as of July 1, 2012).
  • What year were 5 or more babies first named Ransom? The name was first given to 5 or more babies in the year 1880 when it was given as a first name to 5 new born babies.
  • When was Ransom first recorded in the United States? The oldest recorded birth by the Social Security Administration for the first name Ransom is Friday, May 7th, 1869.
  • What year had the most people named Ransom born? The highest recorded use of the first name Ransom was in 2016 with a total of 110 babies.
  • Random Ransom Factoid: According to the 1915 U.S. Social Security Administration data, the first name Ransom is not a popular baby boy's name in South Carolina. Imagine that, only 5 babies in South Carolina have the same name in 1915.
  • Weird things about the name Ransom: The name spelled backwards is Mosnar. A random rearrangement of the letters in the name (anagram) will give Oasrmn. How do you pronounce that?
  • How many people have the last name Ransom? In 2010, the U.S. Census Bureau surveyed 16,871 people with the last name Ransom.
  • How likely are you to meet someone with the last name of Ransom? If you manage to meet 100,000 people in your life, chances are that 6 of them will have Ransom as their last name.
    • Ransom name meaning

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