In 1954, Steve and Gayle Henson opened a dude ranch near Santa Barbara, California, Calif. and named it “Hidden Valley Ranch”. As a side business, they sold a special dressing to guests that Steve had developed in Alaska. The dressing was popular, and they began selling bottles that guests could take home, and later opened a factory to sell packets of ranch seasoning that had to be mixed with mayonnaise and buttermilk (packets that are still available to this day.

So to answer your questions it was named by people who had a “ranch” that named the dressing accordingly since it was concocted on a “ranch” so there you have it ranch dressing !!