The Rand surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 10,397 people carried this name — #3,433 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 28,400 people counted. That is up 3% from 10,097 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Rand surname

From Afrikaans rand, from English rand; compare English rand.

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

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a baptismal name, from a given name: ‘the son of Randolph’.

An early record he cites: Alicia Randoghter, 1379 — Poll Tax, West Riding of Yorkshire.

His entry covers Rand, Rands and Randson.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 635 · public domain.

In Belgium’s population register

At least 41 people named Rand live in Belgium.

Statbel only publishes a name in a municipality when five or more people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Antwerp.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they live today

Antwerp 41

Statbel (Statistics Belgium), family names of the population by municipality, 1 January 2026 — CC BY 4.0.

In France’s civil register

France’s register of deaths holds 40 people named Rand.

6 of them were born outside France. Those born in France came from 6 départements, most often Loire.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they were born

Born outside France 6
Loire 23
Tarn 5
Rhône 3
Gironde 1
Isère 1
Paris 1

Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.

In the Nordic population registers

143 people named Rand are counted in Sweden and Finland.

Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published. Finland counts its citizens, at home or abroad.

Counted, by country

Sweden (2022) 76
Finland (2026) 67

Own calculations based on data from Statistics Sweden (SCB), surnames with at least two bearers, 31 December 2022 — CC BY 4.0 (names with 20 or more bearers shown) · Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV), Finland, surname statistics, August 2026 — CC BY 4.0.

Among the farmers of England and Wales, 1880s

Rand was found among the farmers of 2 counties.

It was most frequent in Buckinghamshire: 18 in every 10,000 farmers there — about 1 in 556. Guppy counted the farmers listed in each county’s directory and recorded a name only where it reached about 7 in every 10,000; where it does not appear, it was rarer than that, not absent.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Per 10,000 farmers, by county

Buckinghamshire 18
Northumberland 18

H. B. Guppy, «Homes of Family Names in Great Britain» (London, 1890), alphabetical list of English and Welsh names — public domain · farmers in Kelly’s Post Office Directories of the 1880s, per 10,000 farmers in each county.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

105 families named Rand, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 590 people lived in those households, 5.6 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 5 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

Massachusetts 42
New Hampshire 36
Maine 11
Vermont 5
New York 4
North Carolina 3
Connecticut 2
Pennsylvania 2

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

Rand in American newspapers,
1885–1925.

Newspaper page from The Hawaiian Gazette carrying the name Rand
The Hawaiian Gazette 1887-12-20
Newspaper page from East St. Louis Daily Journal carrying the name Rand
East St. Louis Daily Journal 1925-09-27
Newspaper page from The Portland Daily Press carrying the name Rand
The Portland Daily Press 1885-03-10

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 8,633 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Rand in Australian newspapers,
1820s–1990s.

19,833 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Rand. The most, 2,631, date from the 1890s. New South Wales has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in Victoria, at 1.3 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 7,641
Victoria 5,890
Queensland 2,295
Tasmania 1,829
Western Australia 1,063
South Australia 976
ACT (Canberra) 101
Northern Territory 10

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

Who carried it

People named Rand,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Silas Tertius Rand
    Silas Tertius Rand 1810–1889 · writer
  • Edward Sprague Rand II
    Edward Sprague Rand II 1810–1884 · lawyer
  • Oscar Ripley Rand III d. 1981 · lawyer
  • Samuel Rand 1588–1654
  • Francis Rand 1616–1691
  • Isaac Rand 1674–1743 · botanical collector

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 Rand,
in the records of 10 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 States1,308 records

1,308 records of the Rand name in the United States
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 434
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 385
  • Other U.S. records 489
  1. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Benjamin Rand

    Born 1931; from New York, New York. U.S. Army, light weapons infantryman; killed in action 1952 in North Korea. Buried at Long Island National Cemetery, New York.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record George J. Rand

    Born 1914 in New York. Enlisted 1942 at Fort Jay Governors Island; office clerk from Queens County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1986, buried at Calverton National Cemetery, New York.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  3. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Arthur L. Rand

    Born 1920 in North Carolina. Enlisted 1942 at Fort Bragg; transport worker from Wake County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1989, buried at Raleigh National Cemetery, North Carolina.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)

Showing 3 of 1,308 records for Rand in the United States.

Counts: NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · 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) · City of Asheville (public domain, PDDL) · New York State, Open NY (police and firefighter memorial rolls). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain).

Canada355 records

355 records of the Rand name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 325
  • City of Winnipeg cemetery records 10
  • Other Canadian records 20
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Ch Rand

    Came to Ontario in 1869 aboard the Serapis, landing at Quebec, bound for Hamilton, Ontario; English.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Margaret Rand

    Died 1998, aged 84; buried at Transcona Cemetery, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

    City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg.
  3. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Rupert L. Rand

    Buried in 1955 at Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, Nova Scotia, aged 72.

    Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax.

Showing 3 of 355 records for Rand in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax. · City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0).

Australia291 records

291 records of the Rand name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 139
  • Tasmanian Names Index 78
  • Other Australian records 74
  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 John Rand

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Susan, sailing from London in 1837. Native of Hadleigh, Suffolk. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1842. Married 1843 in Launceston, Tasmania, aged 27.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. 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 Caroline Rand

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Tasmania, sailing from London in 1844. Native of Coggeshall, Essex. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1848.

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

    Died 1862 in Longford, Tasmania, aged 44. Will registered in Tasmania in 1863.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 291 records for Rand 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). 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).

Netherlands77 records

77 records of the Rand name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 56
  • Dutch population registers 13
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 8
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Jantje Rand

    Born 1841 in Nieuw Beerta (Beerta). Married in 1868 in Beerta. Died 1913 in Oudedijk (Beerta), aged 72.

    Open Archives, Groninger Archieven (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Jan Rand

    Born 1876 in Oudedijk (Beerta). Married in 1895 in Beerta; day labourer.

    Open Archives, Groninger Archieven (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Annechien Rand

    Born 1850 in Finsterwolde. Married in 1876 in Beerta; maidservant. Died 1929 in Beerta, aged 78.

    Open Archives, Groninger Archieven (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 77 records for Rand in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain).

Norway25 records

25 records of the Rand name in Norway Norway's 1910 census
  1. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Census record Olav Rand

    Census of 1910: Myklebustad, Eid; servant, born 1894 in Indvik.

    Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO)
  2. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Census record Marta Rand

    Census of 1910: Osnes, Eid; seamstress, born 1875 in Hornindal.

    Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO)

Showing 2 of 25 records for Rand in Norway.

Counts: Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

France24 records

24 records of the Rand name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Pierre Marius Rand

    Born 1908 in Saint-Étienne; died 1985 in Saint-Chamond (Loire).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Agathe Rand

    Born 1893 in Saint-Étienne (Loire); died 1977 in Lyon (Rhône).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 2 of 24 records for Rand in France.

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

United Kingdom9 records

9 records of the Rand name in the United Kingdom
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 6
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 3
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Eliza Rand

    Buried in 1822 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 33.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. 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 A. C. Rand

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

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

Showing 2 of 9 records for Rand in the United Kingdom.

Counts: MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. 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).

Germany9 records

9 records of the Rand name in Germany
  • Germany's First World War casualty lists, 1914–1919 8
  • German emigration and citizenship files 1
  1. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Rudolf Rand

    From Roez, Waren. Reported wounded in the Prussian casualty list of 12 March 1915 (Infantry Regiment No. 59).

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)
  2. The first page of an emigration file from Gündlingen, Baden, 1883
    Example: German emigration file, 1883
    Emigration record Margaretha Rand

    Emigrated to North America in 1857.

    Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek / Staatsarchiv Würzburg (CC0)

Showing 2 of 9 records for Rand in Germany.

Counts: Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0) · Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Deutsche Verlustlisten, Prussian list 1116, 18 April 1918 (scan via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0); Emigration file, Gündlingen, 1883, Landesarchiv Baden-Württemberg, Staatsarchiv Freiburg B 694/1 Nr. 1389 (CC BY 4.0).

Finland5 records

5 records of the Rand name in Finland
  • Finland's war dead, 1914–1922 4
  • Finland's war dead, 1939–1945 1
  1. A page of the Livre d’or of the French war dead, Paris
    Example: roll of the war dead
    War record Johan David Miinanp Rand

    Born 1881 in Sysmä; labourer. Died in 1918 in Hausjärvi, one of the dead of Finland's wars of 1914–1922.

    Kansallisarkisto, via Sotasurmasampo (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the Livre d’or of the French war dead, Paris
    Example: roll of the war dead
    War record Toivo Vihtori Rand

    Born 1909; general labourer. Died in 1944 during Finland's wars of 1939–1945; buried in Turku.

    Kansallisarkisto, via WarSampo (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 2 of 5 records for Rand in Finland.

Counts: Kansallisarkisto, via Sotasurmasampo (CC BY 4.0) · Kansallisarkisto, via WarSampo (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Livre d’or of the war dead, Paris, Ministère des pensions, Archives nationales (CC0).

New Zealand1 record

1 record of the Rand name in New Zealand Christchurch City cemetery records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Mary Jane Rand

    Died 1932, aged 68; buried at Bromley Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Rand.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Rand 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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