Ralston
A Scottish locational surname from lands once called Ralphstown, later shortened to Ralston.
The #2,914 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 25,097 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Ralston comes from the name of lands in Renfrewshire that were once called Ralphs-toun or Ralphston, meaning “Ralph’s town.” The place name was formed from the personal name Ralph, a medieval English and Norman name related to Randolph, plus Old English/Scots toun, “farmstead, settlement.” Over time, the pronunciation was simplified and the spelling settled as Ralston.
History
The surname is strongly associated with the old Scottish family of Ralston of that Ilk, traditionally said to descend from an early landholder named Ralph. Nineteenth-century sources repeat the same basic explanation: a man called Ralph gave his name to the estate, and his descendants continued to use the place name as a surname. The name later spread beyond Scotland, especially through migration to North America.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Several old sources trace the name to a single estate name that was gradually worn down in speech from Ralphstown to Ralston.
From the historical record
“other surnames. RALSTON. The Ralstons "of that Ilk" are descended from the Mac Duffs, Thanes or Earls of Fife, one of whom had a son Ralph. The latter, obtaining a grant of lands in Renfrewshire, called them after his own name, Ralphs-toune. In process of time, his descendants, continuing on the same estate, wrote…”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom