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Ralph History Etymology Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables World Ranking

United States Canada Australia New Zealand West Indies

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Motto Citations

Ralph History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Germany
Scotland

Etymology of Ralph

What does the name Ralph mean?

The earliest forms of hereditary surnames in Scotland were the patronymic surnames, which are derived from the father's given name, and metronymic surnames, which are derived from the mother's given name. Scottish patronymic names emerged as early as the mid-9th century. The patronyms were derived from a variety of given names that were of many different origins. The surname Ralph is derived from the Old Norse given name Randolph, which itself comes from the Old German words, rat, meaning counsel, and wolf, meaning wolf.

Early Origins of the Ralph family

The surname Ralph was first found in the town of Nairn in Nairnshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Inbhir Narann) in northern Scotland, today part of the Council Area of Highland, where they are thought to have arrived well before the invasion of Britain of Duke William of Normandy in 1066 A.D.

One of the first records of the family was Ralph (died 1144), Bishop of Orkney, whose name usually appears as Ralph Nowell, a native of York, where he became a priest. "York writers assert that, apparently about 1110, Ralph was elected (by men of the Orkneys) to the bishopric of the islands in the church of St. Peter at York." 1

Early History of the Ralph family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ralph research. Another 117 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1205 and 1452 are included under the topic Early Ralph History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ralph Spelling Variations

The frequent translations of surnames from and into Gaelic, accounts for the multitude of spelling variations found in Scottish surnames. Furthermore, the spelling of surnames was rarely consistent because medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules. The different versions of a surname, such as the inclusion of the patronymic prefix "Mac", frequently indicated a religious or Clan affiliation, or even a division of the family. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into Scotland, accelerating accentuating the alterations to various surnames. The name Ralph has also been spelled Ralph, Rolph, Rolfe and others.

Early Notables of the Ralph family

Notable among the family at this time was

John Ralston, Raleston or Raulston (died 1452), Bishop of Dunkeld, who came of a family which traced its descent from Ralph, a son of one of the earls of Fife1...

Ralph World Ranking

In the United States, the name Ralph is the 3,217^th most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. 2 However, in Newfoundland, Canada, the name Ralph is ranked the 153^rd most popular surname with an estimated 252 people with that name. 3 And in Australia, the name Ralph is the 732^nd popular surname with an estimated 5,305 people with that name. 4

Ralph migration to the United States +

Some of the first North American settlers with Ralph name or one of its variants:

Ralph Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Sam Ralph, who arrived in Virginia in 1653 5
Margaret Ralph, who landed in Maryland in 1671 5

Ralph Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Joseph Ralph, who arrived in Virginia in 1701 5
Thomas Ralph, who arrived in America in 1760-1763 5
Francis Ralph, who arrived in New Jersey in 1769 5
Joseph Ralph, who settled in Boston Massachusetts in 1774

Ralph Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

William Ralph, aged 13, who landed in New York in 1819 5
Steven Ralph, aged 8, who landed in New York in 1819 5
Phillip H Ralph, aged 4, who landed in New York, NY in 1819 5
Geo. Ralph, who settled in New York State in 1823
Edward Ralph, who landed in New York in 1832 5
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Ralph migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Ralph Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

John Ralph, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1749

Ralph Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Mr. James Ralph, aged 35 who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Larch" departing 11th July 1847 from Sligo, Ireland; the ship arrived on 20th August 1847 but he died on board 6
Mrs. Margaret Ralph, aged 40 who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Larch" departing 11th July 1847 from Sligo, Ireland; the ship arrived on 20th August 1847 but she died on board 6
Ms. Margaret Ralph, aged 38 who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Larch" departing 11th July 1847 from Sligo, Ireland; the ship arrived on 20th August 1847 but she died on board 6

Ralph migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Ralph Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

William Ralph, a cabinet-maker, who arrived in Van Diemen’s Land (now Tasmania) sometime between 1825 and 1832
Mrs. Ann Ralph, (b. 1774), aged 52, Irish laundress who was convicted in Dublin, Ireland for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Brothers" on 3rd October 1826, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, listed as having 3 children 7
Mr. James Ralph (b. 1813), aged 20, Cornish settler convicted in Cornwall, UK on 22nd March 1833, sentenced for life for breaking into the house of William Pentecost and stealing silver watches, transported aboard the ship "Neva" on 27th July 1833 to New South Wales, Australia 8
Mr. Samuel Ralph Manley, British convict who was convicted in Chester, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Henry Tanner" on 27th June 1834, settling in New South Wales, Australia 9
Mr. Alexander Ralph, (b. 1814), aged 28, English shoe maker who was convicted in London, Ontario, England for 14 years for striking a superior officer, transported aboard the "Candahar" on 26th March 1842, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land), he died in 1847 10
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Ralph migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Ralph Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. W.B. (H.B.) Ralph (Replh), British settler travelling from England aboard the ship "Martha Ridgway" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 14th November 1840 11
Mr. George Ralph, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Sandford" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 9th July 1856 12
Mrs. Sarah Ann Ralph, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Sandford" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 9th July 1856 12
Edward Ralph, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Annie Wilson" in 1863
Lydia Ralph, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "City of Auckland" in 1870
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Ralph migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 13

Ralph Settlers in West Indies in the 18th Century

Thomas Ralph, who settled in Jamaica in 1761

Contemporary Notables of the name Ralph (post 1700) +

Sheryl Lee Ralph OJ (b. 1956), American Tony award and Primetime Emmy Award winning actress and singer, best known for her roles in Moesha (1996), Its A Living (1980), and Instant Mom (2013)
James Ralph (1705-1762), American miscellaneous writer, probably born in Pennsylvania was a merchant's clerk in Philadelphia when he became a close friend with Benjamin Franklin, then a journeyman printer
Jessie Ralph (1864-1944), American actress
Brian Ralph (b. 1973), American cartoonist
Stillman Ralph, American politician, Member of Michigan State House of Representatives, 1837, 1855-56 14
S. H. Ralph, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Louisiana, 1900, 1908 14
Ruth Ralph, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from New Hampshire, 1924, 1928, 1932, 1936 14
Richard F. Ralph, American politician, Member of Missouri State Senate 25th District, 1921-32 14
Nathan Ralph, American politician, Candidate for Presidential Elector for Arizona, 2012 14
Leon Douglas Ralph (1932-2007), American Democratic Party politician, Member of California State Assembly, 1967-76; Defeated, 1988; Delegate to Democratic National Convention from California, 1972 14
... (Another 13 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Ralph family +

RMS Lusitania

Mr. M. Ralph, English Fireman from England, who worked aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and survived the sinking 15

The Ralph Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Cresco crescendeo
Motto Translation: I increase by increasing.

Citations +

Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
The order of Common Surnames in 1955 in Newfoundland retrieved on 20th October 2021 (retrieved from Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland by E.R. Seary corrected edition ISBN 0-7735-1782-0)
"Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 93)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 3rd November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/brothers
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 30th May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_australia_convicts.pdf
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 7th January 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/henry-tanner
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 9th December 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/candahar
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, December 10) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 7) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/