The Ralston surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 12,302 people carried this name — #2,914 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 24,000 people counted. That is up 2% from 12,076 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Ralston surname

A habitational surname from Old English.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Ralston» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

In Scotland’s registers today

Ralston was recorded 33 times in Scotland’s registers of births, marriages and deaths in 2025.

That made it the 744th most common name in those registers, shared with others on the same count. In 1975, the first year of the series, the count was 43. Each birth counts the child’s surname, each marriage both partners’ and each death the surname of the person who died — a yearly count of registrations, not of the people who live in Scotland.

National Records of Scotland, «Most Common Surnames, 2025» (published 26 May 2026): every surname recorded 10 or more times in the 2025 registers, and the series from 1975 · different spellings are counted separately — © Crown copyright 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

42 families named Ralston, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 236 people lived in those households, 5.6 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 6 other spellings. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

Pennsylvania 27
Virginia 9
Massachusetts 2
South Carolina 2
Maine 1
New Hampshire 1

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 258 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Ralston in American newspapers,
1877–1930.

Newspaper page from The Weekly Thibodaux Sentinel And Journal Of The 8th Senatorial District carrying the name Ralston
The Weekly Thibodaux Sentinel And Journal Of The 8th Senatorial District 1893-06-24
Newspaper page from Helena Weekly Herald carrying the name Ralston
Helena Weekly Herald 1877-07-12
Newspaper page from The Poplar Standard carrying the name Ralston
The Poplar Standard 1930-08-07

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 131,294 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Ralston in Australian newspapers,
1820s–2000s.

41,414 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Ralston. The most, 7,220, date from the 1900s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in New South Wales, at 1.3 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 18,594
Queensland 7,555
Victoria 6,430
South Australia 3,171
Tasmania 2,740
Western Australia 2,694
ACT (Canberra) 95
Northern Territory 22

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Ralston.

Who carried it

People named Ralston,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Samuel M. Ralston
    Samuel M. Ralston 1857–1925 · writer
  • Jean Ralston 1657–
  • Samuel Ralston 1756–1851 · Christian minister
  • Sarah Clarkson Ralston 1766–1820
  • Alexander Ralston 1771–1827 · architect
  • Lewis Ralston 1804–1869

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Ralston,
in the records of 6 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States1,111 records

1,111 records of the Ralston name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 498
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 201
  • Other U.S. records 412
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Lynn A. Ralston

    Born 1915 in Iowa. Enlisted 1944 at Camp Dodge Herrold; driver from Jackson County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1987, buried at Rock Island National Cemetery, Illinois.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Thomas Michael Ralston

    Born 1949; from Roslindale, Massachusetts. U.S. Army, infantryman; killed in action 1969 in Hua Nghia, South Vietnam.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Isabella Ralston

    Arrived at New York in 1848 aboard the Charlotte Harrison from Greenock, aged 16; servant. From Great Britain.

    U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain)

Showing 3 of 1,111 records for Ralston in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia697 records

697 records of the Ralston name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 325
  • Tasmanian Names Index 157
  • Other Australian records 215
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Jane Ralston

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Arabian, sailing from Dublin in 1846. Native of Armagh. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1849. Married 1849 in Hobart, Tasmania, aged 20.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Matthew Ralston

    Died 1887 in Morven, Tasmania, aged 80. Will registered in Tasmania in 1887.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Agnes Ralston

    Arrived in Victoria in 1854 aboard the Marian Moore, aged 22; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 697 records for Ralston in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (CC BY 4.0) · City of Ballarat, Avenue of Honour Plaques (CC BY 3.0 AU). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Canada114 records

114 records of the Ralston name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 68
  • City of Calgary cemetery records 15
  • Other Canadian records 31
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Elizabeth Margaret Ralston

    Buried in 1986 at Union Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 85.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Rupert Wilbert Ralston

    Died 1934 in Cumberland, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  3. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record Charles Hargreaves Ralston

    Died in service in 1917.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.

Showing 3 of 114 records for Ralston in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

United Kingdom24 records

24 records of the Ralston name in the United Kingdom
  • Stirling Council burial records 15
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 9
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Catherine Wilson Ralston

    Died 1951, aged 85; buried at Dunblane Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland.

    Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record R. A. Ralston

    West Yorkshire Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Janet Ralston

    Buried in 1877 at Mar Place Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland, aged 78.

    Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Showing 3 of 24 records for Ralston in the United Kingdom.

Counts: Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Netherlands2 records

2 records of the Ralston name in the Netherlands Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths)
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Edward L. Ralston

    Died 1838 in Rotterdam; born in New York.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Rotterdam (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Isabel Ralston

    Died 1970 in Laren.

    Open Archives, Gelders Archief (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

New Zealand1 record

1 record of the Ralston name in New Zealand War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead
  1. A page of the Livre d’or of the French war dead, Paris
    Example: roll of the war dead
    War record W. Ralston

    New Zealand Infantry. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Livre d’or of the war dead, Paris, Ministère des pensions, Archives nationales (CC0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Ralston.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Ralston is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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