RAMPTON One Name Study
Introduction
If you consult any of the well-known books of Surnames, such as Reaney & Wilson or Hanks & Hodges, you will not find a definition of the name RAMPTON. Although there always were a respectable number of people bearing the name - 349 listed in the 1881 census, 462 in about 1998 (based upon the electoral rolls) - it does not feature in these studies where rarer and more unusual names do.
On the face of it you would probably conclude that the name was taken from the village of Rampton in Cambridgeshire or the village of the same name in Nottinghamshire. Perhaps it is an early variant for Frampton or Brampton or Wrampton, all of which still exist as distinct surnames as well as (in the case of the first two) placenames. However, the earliest example I have so far come across is of Isabell RAMPTON in 1425 (found on one of the IGI Miscellaneous pages), but no place name is given. The next Rampton I have is the marriage of Joan (or Jone) Rampton to John Smith (or Smythe) where the IGI has concluded that Joan Rampton must have been born in 1541 (the marriage actually took place in 1562). The location of this event is Marks Tey in Essex, and Joan is said to be "Of Marks Tey". This is 40 miles from the Cambridge village of Rampton, and 118 miles from the Nottingham village, so you might conclude that Cambridge wins. If this were the place of origin of the name, however, you would expect that the greatest concentration of Ramptons would have been living - and still would live - in and around Cambridgeshire, but this is simply not the case. In fact, the largest concentration of the surname I have found is in Hampshire, and for this reason I have begun my investigations in that county.
I am, however, collecting all known occurrences, anywhere in the world, of the name RAMPTON, so if you have any names you can give I am always grateful for information. You can mail me by selecting th Contact menu option above. As and when I have been able to complete an area of study, I shall publish it on this website, as I have done with the Monk Sherborne Study. The Monk Sherborne research is by no means complete as I should like, eventually, to track down all the later children, but as far as the 17th, 18th and early 19th centuries go, it is as accurate and tidy as I can make it.
General RAMPTON Information
Hampshire in General
Hampshire RAMPTONs
Berkshire RAMPTONs
London and Middlesex RAMPTONs
Watch out for these future areas of research
| Ramptons in Alresford RD |
| Ramptons in Andover RD |
| Famous Ramptons |
© This Research prepared by Sue Daws August 2001 to August 2005
