Ransom is an English surname that originally meant "son of Rand", a short form of Randolph, and only later coincided with the word ransom, the price paid to free a captive, which gives it a religious sense of "redemption". It was a familiar first name in 19th-century America, borne for example by Ransom E. Olds, founder of Oldsmobile. The name has stayed rare but steady, from number 2286 in 2000 to a peak of number 1530 in 2016 and number 1695 in 2025.