Show ContentsRamm History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Ramm

What does the name Ramm mean?

Ramm is a name that first reached England following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Ramm family 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 Ramm family

The surname Ramm 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 Ramm family

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

Ramm Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, Anglo-Norman surnames like Ramm are characterized by many spelling variations. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages such as Norman French and Latin, even literate people regularly changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Ramm include Ramm, Ram, Rams, Rame, Rames, Rammes and others.

Early Notables of the Ramm 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. In...
Another 29 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Ramm Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ramm Ranking

In the United States, the name Ramm is the 13,428th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 2

Migration of the Ramm family to Ireland

Some of the Ramm 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.


Ramm migration to the United States +

Faced with the chaos present in England at that time, many English families looked towards the open frontiers of the New World with its opportunities to escape oppression and starvation. People migrated to North America, as well as Australia and Ireland in droves, paying exorbitant rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, but those who did see the shores of North America were welcomed with great opportunity. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Ramm, or a variant listed above:

Ramm Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • John Ramm, who landed in Perth Amboy, NJ in 1685 3
  • John Ramm, who settled in East New Jersey in 1686
Ramm Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Christoph Ramm, who settled in North America in 1782
Ramm Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Johann Ramm, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1800 3
  • Friedrich Ramm, aged 48, who landed in Texas in 1845 aboard the ship "Apollo" 3
  • Elisabeth Ramm, who settled in America in 1851
  • E. Ramm, who settled in Baltimore in 1854
  • Frederick Ramm and his wife, who settled in Philadelphia in 1854
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Ramm Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Jean Louis Dryer Ramm, who landed in Alabama in 1926 3

Ramm migration to Australia +

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

Ramm Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. John Ramm, British Convict who was convicted in Norfolk, England for life, transported aboard the "Earl St Vincent" on 20th April 1826, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 4
  • Mr. James Ramm, English convict who was convicted in Norfolk, Norfolkshire, England for life, transported aboard the "Aurora" on 3rd November 1833, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 5

Contemporary Notables of the name Ramm (post 1700) +

  • Ernst Ramm, American politician, Candidate for New York State Senate 16th District, 1908, 1910; Candidate for U.S. Representative from New York 18th District, 1914 6
  • Major-General Paul Louis Ramm (1882-1977), Danish Director Army Building Service (1945-1946) 7


The Ramm 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. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  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. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 14th September 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/earl-st-vincent
  5. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 20th August 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/aurora
  6. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, February 24) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  7. Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2011, October 5) Paul Ramm. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Ramm/Paul_Louis/Denmark.html


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