ORIGINS OF THE NAME
I can’t find anything conclusive on the meaning of the name, but it definitely originates from Suffolk in England. The earliest probable trace I have is in Walsham le Willows, Suffolk in the 1283 list of taxpayers, where there is a Walter Rampolye. Walsham is about ten miles from my ancestors’ village of Sapiston.
The earliest exact name match I have found so far is from around 1350, where the list of people killed in Walsham by the Black Death included eight Rampleys.
I have come across four speculations regarding the origin of the name Rampley:
- “ram” (the animal) plus the diminutive “ley”, the “p” arising naturally as a pronunciation link between the two
- a type of soldier, specifically a “drawbridge man” (“ramp” rather than “ram”)
- French Huguenot origin (perhaps Ramplie)
- Flemish
Let me know if you have any others!
FAMILY TREES
I have collected family tree information from all sorts of sources worldwide, dating back as far as about 1450. These family trees include the following numbers of Rampleys (not including spouses):
- 1000 in the UK, mostly in 4 major and 5 minor family groups
- 400 in the USA, mostly in 4 family groups
If you would like to see information on your own ancestors, then please send me the information you already know and I will hopefully be able to expand it.