Ram Family History

Indian: from a personal name based on Sanskrit rāma ‘pleasing charming’ the name of one of the chief incarnations of the god Vishnu. In the northern states of India it probably evolved into a surname from use as the final element of a compound personal names such as Atmaram (with Sanskrit ātmā ‘soul’) or Sitaram. Among Tamil and Malayalam speakers who have migrated from their home states it is a variant of Raman. In the epic poem Ramayana Rama is the elder brother of Lakshmana (see Lakshmanan). Compare Rama.

Dutch, German, and English (East Anglia): from Middle Dutch, Middle High German, Middle English ram ‘ram’, either in the sense ‘male sheep’ or denoting an implement such as a battering ram or pile driver. Compare Ramm.

Dutch: shortened form of a personal name composed with ram (from ancient Germanic hramn) ‘raven’ as in Ingelram or Bertram.

Swedish: ornamental name from a placename element, either from Old Norse hrafn ‘raven’ (Swedish ramm) or from dialect ramm ‘water meadow’.

Jewish (Israeli): artificial name from Modern Hebrew ram ‘lofty’. Jewish (eastern Ashkenazic): acronymic surname of uncertain etymology.