Rankine is a surname and occasional first name, related to Rankin. The male given name "Rankin" was a diminutive form of the given name "Rand(e)" found in medieval Scotland and England, with the hypocoristic suffix "-kin" attached. The name is related to Randolph and other names.
"Rankine" as a given name may be derived from Ragnar, an Old Norse name meaning "warrior" or counsel, which travelled south with the Vikings, transitioning to its present form there during medieval times.
Notable people with the surname include: