Show ContentsRam History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

When the ancestors of the Ram family emigrated to England following the Norman Conquest in 1066 they brought their family name with them. They lived in Essex. Their name, however, is a reference to the Castle of Rames, at Bolbec, in the arrondissement of Havre, France, the family's place of residence prior to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. Richard de Ariete (Ram) was listed in Normandy temp. King John. 1

Early Origins of the Ram family

The surname Ram was first found in Essex where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor of Metinges. Roger de Rames was granted sixteen acres at Metinges, as well as land at Ramesdune under Robert Grenon. In Breseta in Suffolk, Roger de Rames was chief tenant. These lands were granted to Roger for his assistance at the Battle of Hastings by William, Duke of Normandy in his victory over King Harold.

Early History of the Ram family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ram research. Another 99 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1564, 1599, 1605, 1615, 1634 and 1684 are included under the topic Early Ram History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ram Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries. For that reason, spelling variations are common among many Anglo-Norman names. The shape of the English language was frequently changed with the introduction of elements of Norman French, Latin, and other European languages; even the spelling of literate people's names were subsequently modified. Ram has been recorded under many different variations, including Ramm, Ram, Rams, Rame, Rames, Rammes and others.

Early Notables of the Ram family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

  • Thomas Ram (1564-1634), English prelate, Bishop of Ferns and Leighlin, born at Windsor and educated at Eton and King's College, Cambridge...

Ram Ranking

In New Zealand, the name Ram is the 919th most popular surname with an estimated 805 people with that name. 2

Migration of the Ram family to Ireland

Some of the Ram family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 53 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Ram migration to the United States +

To escape the uncertainty of the political and religious uncertainty found in England, many English families boarded ships at great expense to sail for the colonies held by Britain. The passages were expensive, though, and the boats were unsafe, overcrowded, and ridden with disease. Those who were hardy and lucky enough to make the passage intact were rewarded with land, opportunity, and social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families went on to be important contributors to the young nations of Canada and the United States where they settled. Rams were some of the first of the immigrants to arrive in North America:

Ram Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • George Ram, aged 25, British settler who arrived in New England in 1635 aboard the ship "Abigail" 3
  • Thomas Ram, aged 19, who arrived in Virginia in 1635 aboard the ship "Thomas & John" 3
  • Fra Ram, who landed in Virginia in 1654 3
  • Anna Catharina Ram, who arrived in New York in 1661 3
  • Ester Ram, who settled in Virginia in 1667
Ram Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Nicolaes Ram, who landed in New York in 1709 3
  • Melchior Ram who arrived in Philadelphia in 1749
  • Conrad Ram, who settled in Philadelphia in 1751
  • Melchior Ram, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1765 3
Ram Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • A. Ram, who settled in Texas in 1845
  • Christopher Ram, who settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1845
  • Jonas Ram, who settled in New York State in 1850
  • Geronimo Ram, who landed in Peru in 1892 3

Ram migration to Australia +

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

Ram Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Anna Ram, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Stebonheath" in 1849 4
  • Rachel Ram, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Stebonheath" in 1849 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Ram (post 1700) +

  • James Ram (1793-1870), English conveyancer and legal author, son of James Ram of Monkwick, Essex
  • Mr. Parul Pinky Ram M.B.E., British Member of the Order of the British Empire on 29th December 2018 for services to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office 5
  • Ajit Ram Verma (1921-2009), Indian physicist, he was awarded the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize in 1964
  • Ram Narain Agarwal (1940-2024), Indian aerospace engineer
  • Ram Buxani (1941-2024), Indian entrepreneur and chairman of the business conglomerate ITL Cosmos Group
  • Ram Chander Bainda (1946-2018), Indian politician who was the elected member of Lok Sabha from Faridabad
  • Ram Chandra Dome (b. 1959), Indian politician and a leader of the Communist Party of India
  • Ram Mohan (b. 1931), Indian animator, title designer and design educator


The Ram 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: Quod tibi vis fieri, facias
Motto Translation: What you wish done, do yourself.


  1. The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
  2. "Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
  3. 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)
  4. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) STEBONHEATH 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849Stebonheath.htm
  5. "Birthday and New Year Honours Lists (1940 to 2019)." Issue 62507, 28 December 2018 | London Gazette, The Gazette, Dec. 2018, www.thegazette.co.uk/honours-lists


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