Ransom

English

"shield's son"

Ransom Origin and Meaning

The name Ransom is a boy's name of English origin meaning "shield's son".

Ransom may be rakish and handsome, but it carries an unavoidable association with holding someone for ransom. But that kind of bad boy image might be exactly what attracts you to Ransom in the first place.

While Ransom feels like a modern appellation ala Breaker or Ranger, it's interesting to note on the popularity chart that it was actually quite popular at the end of the 19th century but fell off the Top 1000 around 1930.

Ransom Rank in US Top 1000

# 984 in the US

Ransom Rank in Nameberry Top 1000

# 804 on Nameberry

Popularity of the name Ransom

• 804 Nameberry 2025
• 660 Unique 2023

Famous People Named Ransom

• Ransom Riggs American novelist
• Ransom Eli Olds American automaker; founder of Oldsmobile
• Ransom Aldrich "Ram" Myers American biologist
• Ransom Asa Moore American agronomist
• Ransom Wilson American flutist
• Ransom Ashley photographer and actor
• Stewart Ransom "Rhett" Miller lead singer of American band The Old 97s
• Bodhi Ransom Green son of American actors Megan Fox and Brian Austin Green
• Cody Ransom American baseball player
• Terrell Louis Ransom Jr., American actor

The name Ransom in Pop Culture

• Elwin Ransom main character in the "Space Trilogy" by C.S. Lewis
• Ransom Stoddard character in "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance"
• Justin "Ransom" Oluransi character in the web comic "Check, Please!"
• Hugh Ransom Drysdale known as Ransom, from the film "Knives Out"