RAMOS Surname Meaning and Origin

The exact derivation of the Ramos surname is in dispute, depending upon the family's origin (Portuguese, Cuban, Mexican, Brazilian, etc.) The most commonly accepted meanings are:

1. Branches or offshoots, or an olive branch, from the plural of ramo, Latin ramus, meaning "branch." It often referred to someone who lived in a thickly wooded area.
2. Palms or palm branches, from "Domingo dos Ramos," a Catholic feast day known as Sunday of the Palms or Palm Sunday.
3. A habitational name for someone from one of many towns called Ramos, in Spain and Portugal.

Ramos is the 20th most common Hispanic surname.

• Surname Origin: Spanish, Portuguese
• Alternate Surname Spellings: RAMOSE, RAMOSE, RAMIS, RAMO, RAMON

Where Do People With the Ramos Surname Live?

WorldNames PublicProfile places the majority of individuals with the Ramos surname in Spain, especially in the region of Islas Canarias, followed by Extremadura, Castilla Y Leon, and Andalucia. This data does not include all of the Spanish-speaking countries, however. Forebears, which does include additional data from other countries, has it ranked 14th in Peru, 23rd in Cuba, 25th in Spain, 30th in Mexico and 35th in Brazil.

Famous People With the Surname RAMOS

• Rodolfo Ramos: Professional skateboarder & X-games competitor
• Fidel Ramos: 12th President of the Philippines
• Sarah Ramos: American actress

Genealogy Resources for the Surname RAMOS

• Ramos RootsPath - RAMOS Surname DNA Project: Join other Ramos males in sorting out the various Ramos ancestral lines through Y Chromosome DNA testing.
• Ramos Family Genealogy Forum: Search this popular genealogy forum for the Ramos surname to find others who might be researching your ancestors, or post your own Ramos query.
• FamilySearch - RAMOS Genealogy: Access over 3.3 million free historical records and lineage-linked family trees posted for the Ramos surname and its variations on this free genealogy website hosted by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Resources and Further Reading

• Cottle, Basil. "Penguin Dictionary of Surnames." Baltimore: Penguin Books, 1967.
• Menk, Lars. "A Dictionary of German Jewish Surnames." Bergenfield, NJ: Avotaynu, 2005.
• Beider, Alexander. "A Dictionary of Jewish Surnames from Galicia." Bergenfield, NJ: Avotaynu, 2004.
• Hanks, Patrick and Flavia Hodges. "A Dictionary of Surnames." New York: Oxford University Press, 1989.
• Hanks, Patrick. "Dictionary of American Family Names." New York: Oxford University Press, 2003.
• Hoffman, William F. "Polish Surnames: Origins and Meanings." Chicago: Polish Genealogical Society, 1993.
• Rymut, Kazimierz. "Nazwiska Polakow." Wroclaw: Zaklad Narodowy im. Ossolinskich - Wydawnictwo, 1991.
• Smith, Elsdon C. "American Surnames." Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997.